118 BOTANY. 



Tribe 4. Solanece. Berry two-celled or more, or fruit dry, indehiscent. 

 Examples ; Nicandra, Physalis, Solanum, Lycopersicum, Atropa, Capsicum, 

 Mandragora, (fcc. 



B . Red em bryem . 



(Embryo straight, cotyledons foliaceous.) 



Tribe 5. Cestrinea;. Berry bilocular. Example : Oestrum. 



Tribe 6. Vestiece. Capsule bilocular. Examples : Vestia, Sessea. 



Of the entire order, there are about sixty-six genera and 950 species. 

 Many of these occur in the Americas. The general qualities of Solanaceae 

 are narcotic, -which, when developed to a great degree, impart highly poison- 

 ous properties. Some of these are Solanum dulcamara (Bittersweet), Atropa 

 belladonna (Belladonna), Hyoscyamus niger (Henbane), Datura stramonium 

 (Jimson weed), Nicotiana tabacum (Tobacco.) The most important plant of 

 this order is the potatoe (Solanum tuberosum). This invaluable tuber 

 is indigenous to the South American Cordilleras, whence it was brought 

 to Europe, an<l ultimately distributed all over the world. It is now culti- 

 vated in Europe as far north as Hammerfest in Lapland, lat. 71°., and in 

 the Faroes, as also in the lower plateaus of India, in China, Japan, Australa- 

 sia, and New Holland. The precise period of its introduction into Europe 

 is unknown, towards the end of the sixteenth century in all probability ; 

 it was first carried from Virginia to Ireland in 1586. Oth'er species of 

 Solanum (S. melongena, and ovigerum,) furnish the Melongcna or egg plant. 

 The Tomato is the fruit of Lycopersicum esculentum. As already mentioned, 

 species of Nicotiana furnish tobacco. The one generally cultivated in the 

 united States is N. tabacum ; the best Havannah cigars are made from N. 

 repanda. Syrian, Turkish, and Persian tobacco are furnished by different 

 species. The mandrake of English authors is the forked root of Mandragora 

 ofiicinalis. The Cayenne peppers or Chillies are derived from species of 

 Capsicum. 



Hyoscyamus niger. Henbane (Europe) {j)l. G3, ßg. 1); a, the corolla 

 opened and reduced ; 6, pistil ; c, pericarp ; (L cross-section of do. ; e, a 

 seed. 



Nicotiana tabacum. Tobacco (;j/. 62, fig. 11) ; A, top of the plant ; B, an 

 inferior and C a superior leaf ; a, an opened flower ; 6, capsule ; d, do. burst ; 

 c, a cross-section of do. 



Datura stramonium, Jimson weed (corruption of Jamestown weed) (East 

 Indies) {pi. 63, fig. 2) ; «, corolla opened ; 6, pistil ; c, cross-section of the 

 pod ; (/, a seed magnified. 



Atropa belladonna. Belladonna (Europe) [pi. 63, fig. 3) ; a, expanded 

 corolla ; 6, anther : c, pistil ; d, stigma magnified ; e, fruit ; /, cross-section 

 of do. ; g, seed ; A, vertical section of do. 



Solanum dulcamara. Climbing nightshade (Europe) (p/. 63,^^. 4). 



Capsicum annuum, Cayenne pepper (South America) {pi. 6d,fig. 5). 



Order 89. BoRAGiNACEiE, the Borage Family. Calyx persistent, four- 

 to five-divided. Corolla gamopetalous, hypogynous, usually regular, five-, 

 118 



