CHAP. XXXII. STAPH YLEACE.^. STAPHYLF/A. 493 



According to Diiniont, the leaves, and more especially the berries, are a 

 deadly poison, both to man and animals. The leaves have been employed 

 in France to adulterate senna leaves, and have produced fatal conse- 

 quences. It is stated by Fee, that several soldiers of the French army in 

 Catalonia became stupified by eating the berries, and three of them died in 

 consequence. The shoots of this plant very frequently die down to the 

 ground ; so that it is never to be seen, in Britain at least, with shoots of 

 above 3 or 4 years' growth ; but it sends up shoots from its roots freely 

 every year; and these shoots are sometimes 3ft. or 4ft. in length. 



s 2. C. nepale'nsis Wall. PL As. Ear., t. 289., The Nepal Coriaria, 



grows in Nepal at heights of from 50(X) ft. to 7000 ft., and is applied to the same purposes as C. my\- 

 tiftllia; but what is remarkable is, the berries are eaten by the inhabitants. 



31 3. C. microphy'lla Pair., The small-leaved Coriaria, 



from Peru ; synon. C. sarmentbsa Forst., from New Zealand, introduced in 1823; and some other 

 Mexican and Peruvian species not yet in the country, may, probably, be found half-hardy; because, 

 as the gre.it body of the plant is under ground, it may be protected by leaves or litter during winter : 

 even if the top should die down every year, like that of a herbaceous plant, shoots may spring up 

 again from tlie root every spring. 



CHAP. XXXII. 



OF THE HAKDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE ORDER STAFHYLEA'CE.®. 



^ Genus I. 



STAPHYLE'A L. The Staphylea, or Bladder-nut Tree. Lin. Si/st. 

 Pentandria Di-Trigynia. 



fdentification. Lin. Gen. No. 374. ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 2. ; Don's Mill., 2. p 2. 

 Synonyynes. Staphylotiendron Tourn. ; Staphilier, faux Pistachier, Fr. ; Pimpernuss, Ger. 

 Derivation. Abridged from Stapiiylodendron, its name before the days of Linnaeus, derived ft-om 



stapltiile, a bunch or cluster, and dendron, a tree; the flowers and fruits being disposed in clusters, 



and the plant being ligneous. 



Gen. Char.y Sfc. Calyx of 5 coloured sepals, connected at the base, in aesti- 

 vation imbricate. Petals 5, in {estivation imbricate. Stamens 3, perigvnous, 

 alternate with the petals, and opposite the sepals. A large urceolate disk, 

 or nectary, within the corolla. Ovarium 2- or 3-celled, superior. Fruit 

 membraneous. Seeds with a bony testa, and a large truncate hiluin. Leaves 

 opposite, pinnate, with both common and partial stipules. Flowers in 

 terminal stalked racemes. (Lindle?/, Introd. to N. S. ; from the character of 

 the order.) 



a I. S. TRiFoYiA L. The three-lea fleted-\ca\ed Staphylea, or Bladder-nut 



Tree. 



Identificntion. Lin. Sp.,386 ; Dec. Prod., 2. p. 2. ; Don's Mill, 2. p. 2. 

 Si/ntmymes. Staphilier a. Feuilles teruees, Fr. ; Virginische Pimpernuss, Gcr. 



Engravings. Schmidt Baum., t. 81. ; N. Du Ham., vi. t. 12. ; Havne Abbild., t. 36. : Krauss, 1. 109. ; 

 E. of PI., No. 3823. ; an«lour Jig. 161. in flower, and fig. 162. in fruit. 



Spec. Char., ($'c. The leaf of 3 leaflets, which are ovate, acuminate, 

 regularly sawed, and, when young, pubescent ; the style smooth ; the 

 capsule bladdery. (Dec. Prod., ii. p. 2.) A deciduous shrub, a native of 

 North America, and found from New York to Carolina, on rocks. It was 

 introduced in 1640, and produces its whitish flowers in May and June. 



* L L 8 



