POLYANDRY. 163 



which signifies pap, because the seeds were formerly boiled 

 in the pap, or food of infants, in order to make them sleep 

 The word opium, is derived from the Greek opos, juice. There 

 are several species of this genus, some of which are common 

 in our gardens. The Opium Poppy, (Papaver somniferum,) 

 is the species cultivated for the purpose of obtaining that 

 powerful narcotic poison, opium. This plant is cultivated in 

 many parts of Europe, at the present day, not for its opium, 

 but for the bland oil its seeds contain, and the capsules, or 

 heads, which are dried and sold to apothecaries. In Persia, 

 Turkey, and India, this plant is grown for its inspissated 

 juice, which in warm climates only, affords good opium. In 

 these countries the opium is collected by making slight in- 

 cisions on each side of the half grown capsule, or poppy 

 head. This is done towards evening, and in the morning the 

 exuded milky juice, being thickened by evaporation to the 

 consistence of a paste, is scraped off by women and children 

 and put into earthen pots. During the day this is worked by 

 wooden spatulas in the sun, until it attains a considerable 

 thickness. It is then formed by hand into cakes, as we see 

 it, and covered with leaves in order to prevent their adhering 

 to each other. It is obvious that the labor of collecting opi- 

 um in this manner, and in no other can it be obtained pure, 

 must be very great ; hence the temptation to adulterate this 

 drug, which is said to be the practice in every country where 

 it is produced for sale. The substances used for this purpose 

 are chiefly the extract of the poppy obtained by boiling ; oil 

 of sessamum ; ashes and the dried leaves of the poppy ; sand , 

 extract of liquorice ; gum Arabic, &c. 



GENUS Sarracenia. Side-saddle flower. Tournefort 

 named this plant in honor of Dr. Sarrazin, of Quebec, who 

 sent the genus to him from Canada. It is called Side-sad- 

 dle flower, from the resemblance of its expanded stigma to 

 a woman's pillion. This highly curious genus consists ol 

 five species, all of them natives of North America, and 

 hitherto found no where else. The Purple Sarracenia; 

 (Sarracenia purpurea,) is the most common species, and 

 perhaps the only one growing in the nothern States. There 



What is the derivation of the word poppy ? In what climates does the 

 poppy afford good opium ? In what manner is opium obtained ? How 

 did the genus Sarracenia obtain its name ? What peculiarity has the 

 genus Sarracenia ? In what country only ar they found native ? 



