98 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



angles, always more or less hairy, the fruit smaller and scarlet, the 

 seeds, at least in the specimens I have seen, more deeply pitted. 



Black Nightshade. 



French, Morelle Noi re. German, Schwarzer Nacldschatten. 



This plant is also CiUeil the Garden Nightshade, and has had the reputation of 

 being very poisonous. This fact is, however, disputed by recent inquirers ; and we 

 find Dr. Swain Taylor, in his work on poisons, denying that the effects, of the plant 

 on the system are in any way as dangerous as they are supposed to be. Duval gave 

 to dogs four ounces of the aqueous extract, and in another experiment 180 ripe bei'ries 

 •of the plant, without any ill effects resulting. On the other hand, Floyer states that 

 thirty of the berries killed a dog in three hours. These differences may perhaps be 

 reconciled by supposing that the active principle, solania, on which the poisonous pro- 

 perties of both species depend, varies very much at different seasons of the year. Orfila 

 found that the extract of Solanum nigrum had a very feeble effect as a poison, and 

 the fatal cases reported to be caused by it are perhaps referable to belladonna, for which 

 it may have been mistaken. Nevertheless Dr. Taylor observes that " the berries of 

 Solanum nigrum have, in at least one instance, produced very serious effects on children 

 who have eaten them. They complained of headache, nausea, vertigo, colic, and 

 tenesmus. One child died in the acute stage ; two others apparently from secondary 

 consequences, during treatment." 



GENVS II.— h Y C I U M. Zi7i?t. 



Calyx bellshaped-cylindrical, regularly 5-toothed, or irregularly 

 2- to 5-toothed, persistent but not accrescent after flowering, at 

 length enclosing the base of the fruit. Corolla regular, funnel- 

 shaped or salvershaped ; tube elongated ; limb 5-partite ; segments 

 imbricated in aestivation. Stamens 5, inserted in the middle or 

 near the bottom of the tube of the corolla, included or exserted ; 

 filaments elongated ; antliers not connivent, opening by longi- 

 tudinal slits. Pruit a berry with 2 cells. Seeds several, reniform. 



Shrubs often spiny, with alternate entire leaves, and rather 

 small generally lateral flowers of various colour. 



The name of this genus is that of the thorny apple of Thessaly, and is a Greek 

 word — XvKLDi' (lukiony The name given by Dioscoiides to the ancient plant is derived, 

 no doubt, from Lycia, in Asia Minor, where it grew. 



SPECIES I.— LYCIUM BARBARUM. Linn. 

 Plate DCCCCXXXIII. 

 Beich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XX. Tab. MDCXXXV. Fig. 1. 



Stem slender, arching or supporting itself on surrounding 

 •objects, much branched; branches slender, pendulous; abortive 



