ZYGOPHYLLACEJE. 



many ovules. Style simple, tapering into a minute stigma. 

 Fruit capsular, 5-cornered or winged, with a loculicidal dehi- 

 scence ; rarely indehiscent. 



439. Z. Fabago Linn. sp. pi. 551. Lam. ill. t. 345. f. 1. 

 DC. prodr. i. 705. Syria, the Crimea, Barbary. 



A smooth, jointed, bright green, herbaceous plant about 2 feet high. 

 Leaves conjugate, opposite ; leaflets obovate, obtuse, sessile, oblique. 

 Flowers solitary or in pairs and axillary, or terminal in small clusters, 

 nodding. Sepals with a pale membranous margin. Petals obovate, 

 longer than the calyx, white, with a deep saffron-coloured base. Stamens 

 as long as the petals, with deep saffron-coloured filaments. Fruit pen- 

 dulous, long, clavate, 5-cornered. Esteemed in Syria as a vermifuge. 



GUAIACUM. 



Calyx deeply 5-parted, unequal. Petals 5, longer, unguicu- 

 late. Stamens 10, without scales. Ovary stipitate with 2-5 

 angles, 2-5 cells, and about 8 suspended ovules in a cell. Styles 

 short, acute. Fruit on a very short stalk, somewhat fleshy, 

 angular. Seeds solitary by abortion, smooth, pendulous. 



440. G. officinale Linn. sp. 546. Lam. ill. t. 342. Swartz. 

 obs. . 168. DC. prodr. i. 707. Woodv. t. 16. S. and C. 



ii. t. 90. Macfady. jam. i. 187 Various parts of the West 



Indies. 



A tree seldom more than 12 feet high : branches crowded, knobby, 

 short-jointed, flexuose. Leaves opposite, bijugate or trijugate : leaflets 

 sessile, more or less obovate, rounded at the apex, nerved, glabrous ; 

 common petiole terete, channelled above. Peduncles axillary, several 

 together, an inch long, 1-flowered, filiform, minutely downy. Sepals 5 ; 

 two exterior, somewhat broader than the others ; all obtuse and hoary 

 with down. Petals 5, light blue,thrice the length of the sepals, oblong, 

 bluntish, internally downy. FilamentslO, twice the length of the sepals, 

 grooved on the back : anthers bifid at the base, curved. Ovary 2-celled, 

 with numerous suspended ovules, compressed ; stigma simple. Capsule 

 obcordate, succulent, glabrous, yellow, 2-5-celled. Seeds solitary, 

 roundish, compressed. Wood excessively hard and compact, yielding 

 Guaiacum, a bitter acrid stimulant gum resin partially soluble in water 

 and wholly in alcohol, and employed as a diaphoretic and alterative. 

 It has been found useful in rheumatism, diseases of the skin, leucorrhoea 

 and scrofula. Its action is stimulant and tonic and in large doses 

 purgative. The common tincture of Guaiacum has been employed, 

 diluted with water, to cleanse the mouth, strengthen the gums, relieve 

 toothach, &c. 



PORLIERIA. 



Calyx deeply 4-parted. Petals 4, rather longer, somewhat un- 

 guiculate. Stamens 8, scaly at the base. Ovary placed on a 

 short receptacle, 4-furrowed, 4-celIed, with 4 suspended ovules 

 in each cell. Style 4-cleft. Fruit fleshy, globose, 4-lobed, 

 4-celled. Seeds solitary, smooth, pendulous. 



214 



