

STACHVTAUPHA. 



STAGMARIA. 



are rm numerous, above 100 being enumerated. They are herbi or 

 uniler-shrulw, with their flowers arranged in whorls. The majority of 

 them are European plants, 



' lomica. Common Betony. Stems erect, rather pilose; lower 

 leave* on long petioles, and crcnatcd ; upper leares sessile, toothed ; 

 uppermost ones linear, quite entire; whorls many-flowered; bracts 

 orate ; corolla twice as long as the calyx. This species is the Bttonica 

 nf riant it of Linnaeus. It is now a species of the genus Stack yi, but 

 it was formerly a species of the genus littonico ; but the characters 

 which constituted the difference between the Utter and the former 

 baring been considered too trifling to constitute separate genera, the 

 genus Jietonifo has been abolished by later botanists. The Common 

 Betony is a native of Europe and some parts of Asia, inhabiting woods, 

 heaths, and pastures. It is very plentiful in Great Britain. It was 

 formerly much used in medicine, and is now a popular remedy for 

 come complaints. When taken fresh it is said to possess intoxicating 

 properties. The leaves bare a rough bitter taste, an<l are slightly 

 aromatic. The roots are nauseous and very bitter, and when taken 

 act as purgatives and emetics. 



>. Itmata, Woolly Woundwort Whole plant clothed with dense 

 silky wool ; leaves oblong, narrowed at both ends ; floral leaves small, 

 the upper ones of which are shorter than the whorls ; whorls many- 

 flowered ; bracts linear-lanceolate, the same length as the calyx ; calyx 

 incurred, toothed ; corolla woolly. This plant is a native of Europe, 

 in the neighbourhood of the Mediterranean. Dr. Sibthorp found it in 

 Laconia, where it is called 2rax<fi by the modern Greeks. This plant 

 is remarkable for its woolly covering, as well as the A Germanica 

 (German Woundwort), on which account they hare been introduced 

 into our gardens. Many other species are covered with hairs so as 

 to give them a powdery-looking woolly character, as the 5. alpina, 

 ilica, kc. 



.S. coccinea. Scarlet Hedge-Nettle. Stem erect, clothed with soft 

 rilli; herbaceous orato-laneeolate petiolate leaves; flowers 6 in a 

 whorl ; corolla pubescent, three times as long as the tube. This is 

 the most beautiful species of the genus, baring large dark scarlet 

 flowers an inch in length. It is a natire of Chili and Peru. It must 

 be cultivated as a greenhouse plant, and is readily increased by 

 cuttings or parting it* roots. 



>'. paltutru, March Woundwort, or Clown's All-Heal. Stems erect, 

 pubescent, herbaceous ; leares snbsessile, oblong, crenated, wrinkled, 

 hispid; whorls with 6 or more flowers; calyx with lanceolate acute 

 teeth ; corolla twice as long as the calyx. It has pale purple flowers, 

 with a rarieiiated lower lip of the corolla. This plant is a natire of 

 Europe, Asia, and North America. It is abundant in watery places, 

 by road-rides, in meadows, and corn-fields in Great Britain. It is 

 called Clown's All-Ural by Gerard. The young shoots and the roots 

 also, when cooked, form an excellent esculent. On the farm it is a 

 weed that should be well looked after, as it exhausts the soil and 

 increases rery rapi'lly. 



& tylraiica, the Hedge Woundwort, is another common British 

 specie*, differing from the last in having stalked leaves which are 

 cordato-orate shaped. It inhabits woods, hedges, and shady place?. 

 This herb is very pungent, and has an unpleasant fetid smell. 



' -iiifa, Corsicaii Woundwort. Procumbent, pilose; leaves with 

 P titles; flowers in 2-4-flowered whorls ; corolla twice as long as the 

 calyx, lower lip large. This is a pretty little plant worthy of culti- 

 vation. It has downy, rosy-white, or pink flowers, which are large 

 for the size of the plant, It is a native of corn-fields in Corsica and 

 Sardinia. 



& larandubrfoliii, Lavender-Leaved Woundwort. Leares of the 

 tern oblong, lanceolate with petioles, floral leares sessile ; whorls 2-6- 

 flowered ; teeth of calyx longer than corolla. It is a native of the 

 Caucasus, in dry stony places. It is shrubby in its habit, and is well 

 adapted for rock-work. 



8TACHYTAUPHA (from trnxvt, a spike, and rop^s, dense), the 

 name of a genus of Plants belonging !. the natural order Verbenacea. 

 It is known by iU tubular 4-toothed calyx ; bypocrateriform unequal 

 .'cleft corolla with a curved tube ; 4 stamens, 2 of which are fertile. 

 The species are natives of South America and the West India Islands. 

 Many of them bare been described as Verrains, but they are distinct 

 from that genus. They are herbaceous or shrubby, and many of them 

 are handsome plants. 



"aiVeiuu, Jamaica Bastard- Vet-rain, is an under shrub, with 

 scattered hairy branches ; leares nearly two inches long, oblong-orate, 

 coarsely and sharply serrated, quite entire at the base, with the 

 midrib Vx-set with hairs; the spike is dense, bearing flowers of a 

 HUe colour, and having ovate bracts which are shorter than the calyx. 

 Thin plant is a native of the West India Islands, and has there a 

 reputation something like that which distinguished our common 

 Vervain. 



STACKHOUSI A. [STACK iiorgiACKAl 



STAC KlI'ifH \< I:.K, StacUuHuiadt, a small order of Plants 



nig to the Syncarpous group of Polypetalous Exogcns. They 



Haireont plant*, with simple, entire, alternate, sometimes minute 



leares, with lateral Terr minute stipules. The flowers are arranged 



in spikes, ech flower baring 3 bracts. The calyx is 1-leared, 5-cleft, 



e<|iial, tube inflated ; petals 6, arising from the top of the tube of the 



calyx, the claws forming a tube which is longer than the calyx ; 



stamens 5, arising from the throat of the calyx ; ovary superior 3-5- 

 lobed; fruit dry, with albuminous seeds and erect embryo. This 

 order was constituted by Brown, and its nearest relations are with 

 Crlattracdt and Eupknrbiacar. From the firct it differs in the posses- 

 sion of stipules, the cohesion of the petals, and the deep-lobed ovary ; 

 from the last, in the structure of the fruit, and in the position of 

 the seeds. All the species are natives of Australia. The only genus 

 of the order at present is Stackhoiuia, which was named in honour of 

 John Stackhouse. 



monogyna, 



1, Spike with flowers ; 2, cutting, with leave* ; 3, calyx, corolla, and bracts ; 

 4, petals, showing their union to form a tube ; 5, itamcns arising from calyx ; 

 6, ovary and style*. 



STAG. [CERVID*.] 



STAG-BEETLES. [ 



STA'GMARIA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order 

 Tcrebinthactct. It was named by Mr. W. Jack, assistant-surgeon in the 

 East India Company's service, and author of 'Malayan Miscellanies' 

 from the Greek word trrdyita, ' a dropping fluid.' The tree & vertti- 

 ciflua, which is the Arbor rrrnt'cu of Rumphius, and the Kayo Rangaa 

 of the Malays, is full of acrid resinous juice, and is a natire of the 

 Eastern Islands, but not rery abundant in Sumatra, though occa- 

 sionally found in the neighbourhood of rivers. 



The calyx is tubular, with the limb irregularly ruptured, deciduous. 

 Petals 5, longer than the calyx, obtuse, spreading, snbreflexed. Sta- 

 mens fl, alternating with, but inserted abore, the petals into the stipe- 

 like torus. Filaments filiform, equal to the petals in length. Anthers 

 oblong. Ovary stipitate, 3-lobed, lobes 1 -seeded, 1-2 of which are 

 usually abortive. Styles 1-3, terminating the lobes of the ovary. 

 Stigmas obtuse. Berry kidney-shaped, furrowed, 1-seeded, with a 

 warty rind. Embryo exalbuminous, erect ; cotyledons united ; radicle 

 incurred. The genus is nearly allied to Khtu, but besides the differ- 

 ence indicated in the above character, it has simple leares, which are 

 without stipule*. 



The wood of the tree is of a fine dark colour towards the centre. 

 The bark exudes a resin which is extremely acrid, causing excoria- 

 tion and blisters when applied to the skin ; in this, as well as iu 

 becoming black when exposed to the air, it resembles the Mclanon-haa, 

 Cashew-Nut Tree, Poison-Oak, and many others of the Terebinthatea. 

 According to Rumphius, this tree yields the celebrated Japan lacquer, 

 or varnish, and he considers it the same with that of Slain and 

 Touquin. Loureiro however represents the Utter to be the produce 

 of an Augeia. Mr. Jack says the varnish of Siain and Cochin-China 

 is probably the best, but that of Celebes and of Java, which is the 

 produce of this tree, is also employed for the same purposes, and can- 

 not be much inferior, as it bears an equally high price. Kumpliius 

 Kays the exhalations of this tree are considered noxious, and the people 

 of Macassar, and of other parts of Celebes in particular, entertain 

 such dread of it, that they dare not remain long under it, much less 

 repose under Its shade. As however it furnishes the celebrated 

 varnish, the Chinese and Tonkinese boldly repair to the tree, but 

 employ caution in collecting the resin. This they do by inserting 

 into the trunks two pieces of bamboo, sharpened at their points, in 

 nch a manner as to penetrate the bark in a somewhat oblique direc- 

 tion. These remain all night, and are extracted before sunrise the 

 next morning, the trees yielding no juice during the day. This fluid 

 resin !> an a high price, being sold iu Tonkin and Camboja for 30, 60, 



