LESSONS IN BOTANY. 



SECTION LXIV.-ARALIACE.S, OE IVT WOBT8. 



Characteristics: Calyx iiiHi.-ivnt. 1" tin- c.vury ; petals five or 



. ii|Miii mi i |ii_cynou8 disc, sessile ; \ulvular in aesti- 



viitimi; stamens b . iththo petalH, in number equal to 



the latter, and alternate with thorn, or double 



thi-ir niiml" . sitVrior, thrco or moro 



fi'lli-il, i-dU iiiiinviil id- ; ovnlrM pendent, ro- 



eg ,-.|nnl in number t<> tin' crlU, 



(listuirt <>r rciluT.'iit ; Iruit liiirriform, dry, or 



: Mct'd invi-rsi', dicot ylrdnnous ; embryo 



null ill tin- t>:isi) of a fleshy ull.uin.-n; 



irior. 



'Hi,. Ar >t- < ,r ji'iierally possess a woody 

 -item, and have for the most part alternate 



i;>ul:ito leaves. Flowers regular, < 

 Lir, uiiil'c'liforous, or in raonraes. 



Araliacecs are inhabitants of tropical 

 and temperate regions of both hemispheres. 

 This natural order has a certain resemblance 

 to the Umbelliferce, both in general aspect 

 and chemical qualities. In Araliaceae, however, 



fonr, alternate with the petal* ; ovary inferior, two-ceDad, eeD* 

 uniovnlar ; ovules pendent, rcflexod ; tyle eimplo ; fruit bo- 

 cato, two or throe colled ; need* inverted ; embryo dicotylado- 

 HOUB, straight in the axis of a fleshy albumen ; radicle superior. 

 The Cornacffa are generally tree* or shrubs 

 with opposite, wmple, ex-stipulate leaves; 

 flowers disposed in a capitulnm, umbel, or 

 corymb. The Cornacem are allied with the 

 CaprifoliaceaSf from which, however, they 

 may bo distinguished by th< ir free petals. 

 They are also allied with Araliaceae, brat 

 differ in their two-celled ovary and opposite 

 loaves. 



Tho Cornaceo! inhabit the temperate and 

 cool regions of the northern hemisphere. 

 Certain members of the order possess in theii 

 bark a peculiar bitter principle termed cor- 

 mine, also an astringent matter. Some pro- 

 duce cdiblo fruits and oily seeds. The greater 

 number possess a wood of great hardness. 

 The cornel-tree (Cornus mascula) is generally 



814. THE GRAPE VINE (VITIS VINIFEEA). 215. THE 

 COMMON IVY IHEDEUA. HELIX;. 



the aromatic resinous principles are masked by 

 astringent and bitter matters. 



The common ivy needs no description as to 

 general appearance. Its leaves, when bruised, 

 are aromatic, and their juice, incorporated with fatty matter, 

 constitutes a good application to bums. The ginseng (Panax 

 Schinseng) grows in Tortary, China, and Nepaul. Its root con- 

 tains a bitter, an acrid, and a saccharine matter. The plant 

 enjoys in Asia an immense reputation as a tonic, and sells for 

 three times its weight in silver. Panax quinquefoUum grows 

 in North America ; its root is collected and sold to the Chinese 

 as a substitute for the real ginseng. The Aralia nudicaulis, 

 a North American plant, is celebrated as a sudorific, and its 

 roots are used for the purpose of adulterating sarsaparilla. 

 SECTION LXV. CORNACEJE, OR CORNELS. 



Characteristics: Calyx adherent to the ovary; petals four, 

 inserted upon an epigynous disc, valvate in aestivation ; stamens 



21G. THE KACEME- FLOWERING ARALIA (iRALJA BACK- 

 MOSA). 217. THE DOGWOOD ( CORNUS SANGUINEA . 



diffused over most parts of the world. The 

 irnus sanguinea (Fig. 217) produces bitter 

 and nauseous fruits, but the seed yields an oil 

 U83ful for illumination and the fabrication of, 

 soap. The Benthamiafragifera, or strawberry-fruited Benthamia, 

 is a shrub of Nepaul and Japan, now generally cultivated in Euro- 

 pean gardens. The name fragifera, is given to this plant on ac- 

 count of its bearing a fruit similar in general appearance to & 

 strawberry. The Cornus florida is a North American shrub. It 

 possesses an astringent bark, and is employed as a substitute for 

 quinine by American medical practitioners. The Aucuba Japonitxt, 

 or variegated laurel, is a Japanese evergreen, with shining, 

 opposite, coriaceous leaves, and dioecious, small axillary 

 flowers, disposed in panicles. Ovary adherent, nnilocnlar, 

 uniovulate ; ovule pendent, reflexed. Fruit, a scarlet berry. 

 This shrub, which is full of ramifications and very elegant, is a 

 well-known garden ornament. 



