464 



SOLANACE.E. 



as a remedy in pectoral affections; and with wine, water, lemon, and 

 sugar, its leaves form an ingredient in what is called cool-tankard. At- 

 tached to the stamens in this plant, and others of the order, are scales, 

 which may be considered as abortive stamens, formed by dilamination 

 (fig. 312). Anchusa tinctoria supplies alkanet-root, which is used as a 

 reddish-brown dye. Some of the species of Heliotropium (as H. peruvia- 

 num) are distinguished by their fragrant odour. The leaves ofSteenham- 

 mera (Lithospermwri) maritimum have the taste of oysters, and hence it 

 is called the Oyster-plant in Scotland. Myosotis palustm (fig. 297) is 

 the true Forget-me-not. Miss Strickland remarks, that the banished 

 and aspiring Henry of Lancaster appears to have been the person 

 who gave to this plant its emblematical and poetical meaning, by 

 uniting it in his exile with the initial letter of his watchword, ' Sou- 

 veigne-vous-de-moy.' 



960. Order 134. Solanacete, the Nightshade Family. (Monopet. 

 Hypog.) Calyx inferior, 5- rarely 4-partite, persistent (fig. 664 c). 

 Corolla monopetalous hypogynous, with the limb 5- rarely 4-cleft, 

 regular, or somewhat unequal, deciduous ; aestivation plicate or im- 

 bricated (fig. 663). Stamens inserted on the corolla (fig. 664 e), 



Fig. 663-668. Organs of fructification of Solanum tuberosum, the Potato, to illustrate the 

 natural order Solanacese. 



Fig. 663. Diagram of the flower, with five divisions of the calyx, five plicate segments of the 

 corolla, five stamens, and a 2-celled ovary with polyspermous placentas, a, Axis. 



Fig. 664. Vertical section of the flower, c, Calyx, p p. Lower part of the corolla, e, Stamens, 

 with porous dehiscence of the anthers, o, Bilocnlar ovary, polyspermous. s, Style and stigma. 



Fig. 665 Fruit, baccate. 



Fig. 666. Horizontal section of the fruit, showing the seeds and placenta. 



Fig. 667. The seed. 



Fig. 668. Vertical section of the seed, t. Integument (spermodenn) of the seed, p, Fleshy 

 p_erisperm (albumen), e, Embryo, which is curved and excentric, with the radicle next the 

 liilum. 



