MENISPERMACEJE. VII. COCCULUS. 



107 



acuminated, quite entire. If. , / '\ FIG. 29. 



S. Native of the south-eastern 

 coast of Africa, especially in shady 

 woods of Oibo and Mozambique. 

 Menispermum palmatum, Lam. 

 diet. 4. p. 95. D. C. ess. prop, 

 pi. ed. 2. p. 79. Colomba, Colum- 

 bo or Kalumbo, Berry, in asiat. 

 reser. 10. p. 385. t. 5. Male plant. 

 Roots perennial, thick, with fusiform 

 branches (f. 29. c.). Stems twining, 

 annual, about the thickness of a 

 goose-quill. The roots of this 

 plant are sold in the shops under 

 the name of Calumba or Colomba 

 Root ; it is a bitter stomachic, use- 

 ful in dysentery, diarrhoea, and dys- 

 pepsia. This root is produced in 

 Africa in the country of the Caffres, and forms an important article 

 of commerce with the Portuguese at Mozambique. It is remark- 

 able that the place of the growth of this important plant should 

 have been so long unknown to Europe. It is never cultivated, but 

 grows naturally, and in great abundance in the thick forests that 

 are said to cover the coasts of Oibo and Mozambique, and inland 

 about 15 or 20 miles. The roots are dug up in March, the dry 

 season, or when the natives are not employed in agriculture, not 

 the original root, which is perennial, but off-setts from its base, 

 that are of sufficient size, yet not so old as to be full of fibres, 

 which render it unfit for commerce. Soon after it is dug up, 

 the root is cut into slices, strung on cords and hung up to dry 

 in the shade. It is deemed merchantable when on exposure to 

 the sun it breaks short, and of a bad quality when it is soft or 

 black. This root is in high estimation among the Africans, even 

 far removed from Mozambique, for the cure of dysentery, which 

 is frequent among them, also for the cure of syphilis and all com- 

 plaints of long standing, and as a remedy for almost every dis- 

 order. In powder, it is used for the cure of ulcers. It is 

 generally brought in transverse sections, from half an inch to three 

 inches in diameter, rarely divided across. This is evidently 

 done to facilitate its drying ; for the large pieces are all per- 

 forated with holes. The root is yellow within. Its smell is 

 faintly aromatic, and readily lost when not preserved in close 

 vessels ; the taste is unpleasant, bitter, and somewhat acrid ; the 

 bark has the strongest taste ; the pith is almost mucilaginous. 

 Its active constituent is a bitter principle called Cinchonine. It 

 also contains a great deal of mucilage. Planche says it contains 

 one-fourth of its weight of starch. It is accordingly more solu- 

 ble in water than in alcohol. The tincture is not precipitated by 

 water, and does not affect the colour of infusion of turnsole, or 

 solution of red sulphate of iron. In India it is much used in 

 diseases attended with bilious symptoms, particularly in cholera ; 

 and it is said to be sometimes very effectual in other cases of 

 vomiting. It produces excellent effects in dyspepsia. Half a 

 drachm of the powder is given repeatedly in the day. The false 

 Colombo-root, the produce ofFrasera Walteri, has been imported 

 from the United States, (f. 29.) 



jPa/mafe-leaved Cocculus or Colombo-root. Fl. ? Clt. ? PL tw. 



32 C. CINERA'SCENS (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 59.) leaves ovate, 

 acutish, mucronulate, somewhat cordate at the base, crenated, 

 clothed with greyish tomentum beneath, fj. ^ S. Native of 

 Brasil in woods. This plant is employed by the Brasilians in the 

 treatment of fever, it being considered a powerful febrifuge, and 

 is also regarded as a powerful specific in diseases of the liver. 



Greyish Cocculus. Shrub cl. 



33 C. ORBICULA'TUS (D. C. syst. 1. p. 523.) leaves orbicular, 

 somewhat cordate, blunt, 5-7-nerved, mucronulate, under surface 



cinereously-pubescent ; male pedicels large, 1-3, racemose at the 

 apex, shorter than the petioles. T? . ^. S. Native of Malabar 

 and Tranquebar. Menispermum orbiculatum, Lin. spec. 1468. 

 Rheed. mal. 11. p. 127. t. 62. Pluk. amalth. 61. t. 384. f. 6. 

 Flowers small, villous on the outside. Perhaps a species of 

 Cissdmpelos. 



Or&icwter-leaved Cocculus. Fl. ? Clt. 1790. Shrub tw. 



34 C. DIVERSIFO'LIUS (D. C. syst. 1. p. 523.) lower leaves 

 cordate, middle ones ovate, upper ones oblong, all of which are 

 truncate obtuse and mucronate ; peduncles 1-3-flowered, shorter 

 than the leaves, tj . ^. S. Native of Mexico. Menispermum, 

 spec. nov. Moc. et Sesse, fl. mex. icon. ined. Flowers small, 

 white. Berries fleshy, reddish, almost kidney-shaped. Very 

 like C. Carolmus, but is easily distinguished from it by the tops 

 of the leaves being truncate. 



Variable-leaved Cocculus. Shrub tw. 



35 C. CAROLI'NUS (D. C. syst. 1. p. 524.) leaves cordate or 

 ovate, entire, obtuse or somewhat 3-lobed, under surface velvety- 

 pubescent ; male racemes floriferous from the base, female ones 

 3-flowered. Tj . r> . H. but often herbaceous in gardens in cold 

 countries. Native of Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, in woods 

 and hedges. Menispermum Carolinum, Lin. spec. 1468. Wend- 

 Mndia populif olia, Willd. spec. 2. p. 275. Pursh.fl.amer.sept. 1. 

 p. 252. Dill. elth. 223. t. 178. f. 219. Androphilax scandens, 

 Wendl. obs. p. 38. hort. herrenh. 3. t. 16. Baumgartia scandens, 

 Moench, meth. 650. Flowers dioecious, but according to Wend- 

 land often hermaphrodite. Berries, when ripe, red. 



Carolina Cocculus. Fl.Jun. Jul. Clt. 1759. Shrub tw. 



36 C. LANUGINO'SUS (Blum, bijdr. fl. ned. ind. ex Schlecht. 

 Linnsea. 1. p. 498.) woolly ; leaves broad-ovate, retuse, scarcely 

 cordate at the base ; corymbs axillary, crowded, much shorter 

 than the leaves ; pedicels somewhat umbellate. Tj . w . S. Na- 

 tive of Java. 



Woolly Cocculus. Shrub cl. 



37 C. PLATIPHY'LLA (St. Hil. fl. bras. 1. p. 59. pi. us. bras, 

 t. 42.) leaves broad, heart-shaped, obsoletely-crenate, tomentose 

 beneath. 17 . w . S. Native of Brasil in the northern parts of 

 the province of Minas Geraes, where it is called Batua. This 

 plant is employed by the Brasilians in the treatment of inter- 

 mittent fevers, and it is also regarded by them as a powerful 

 remedy in diseases of the liver. 



Broad-leaved Cocculus. Shrub cl. 



3. Leaves ovate, oval, or oblong. 



88 C. THUKBE'RGII (D. C. syst. 1. p. 524.) leaves ovate, ob- 

 tuse, with a point, under surface villous ; lower leaves somewhat 

 triangular, upper ones orbicular ; flowers axillary, panicled. 

 Tj . r ^. S. Native of Japan near Nagasaki. Menispermum 

 orbiculatum, Thunb. jap. 194. Compare it with Braam. icon, 

 china, t. 2. f. 1. ; perhaps the same, or a new species. 



Thunberg's Cocculus. Shrub tw. 



39 C. VILLO sus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 525.) leaves ovate or lan- 

 ceolate, 3-5-nerved, younger ones villously-tomentose, adult 

 ones pubescent, branchlets pubescent ; pedicels few-flowered, 

 length of petioles. lj . or 1^ . r \ S. Native of Malabar and the 

 East Indies. Plant very villous, having the appearance of a 

 species of E 'volvulus. 



Far. a ; leaves oblong-lanceolate. Pluk. amalth. 62. t. 384. 

 f. 3. Menispermum myosotoides, Lin. spec. 1469. 



Var. ft; leaves all ovate. Pluk. amalth. 61. t. 384. f. 7. 

 Menispermum hirsutum, Lin. spec. 1469. 



Far. y ; upper leaves ovate, lower ones cordate. Pluk. amalth. 

 61. t. 384. f. 5. 



Villous Cocculus. PL tw. 



40 C. COTONEA'STER (D. C. syst. 1. p. 525.) leaves oval, quite 

 entire, mucronate, under surface tomentose as well as the branches ; 



