CORIARIACEJE. 

 Nat.syst.ed. 2. p. 141. 



CORIARIA. 



The character the same as that of the order. 



454. C. myrtifolia Linn. sp. pi. 1467. Lam. ill. t. 822. 

 Duham. arb. i. t. 73. DC. prodr. i. 739. Various parts of 

 the basin of the Mediterranean. 



Leaves opposite ovate-lanceolate, acute, triple-nerved, rather stalked, 

 smooth. Racemes nearly erect. Sepals 5, ovate, acute, smooth, 

 naked, in a broken whorl. Petals 5, ovate, rigid, fleshy, keeled inside, 

 applied closely to the carpels, green. Stamens 5, about as long as the 

 petals, and alternate with them. Ovaries 5, obliquely converging, 

 opposite the petals, adhering by means of a gynobase, with no style, but 

 each with a long recurved linear stigma; ovules .solitary, suspended. 

 Fruit a dangerous poison, exciting violent fits of tetanus, giving place 

 to apoplectic coma. Senna adulterated with the leaves equally dan- 

 gerous. Many fatal cases on record. 



223 



