POLYGALE.<E. I. POLYGALA. 



349 



according to the manner in which it is administered. The 

 Yelhoi of South America, the root of a species of Monnina, has 

 the same properties as P. senega, and is particularly used as a 

 remedy in dysentery, The well known Rattany or Rattanhia 

 root of Chili is the produce of Krameria tridndra, and pos- 

 sesses powerful tonic and astringent qualities. According to the 

 analysis of a French chymist, it contains gallic acid, but neither 

 tannin nor resin. The seeds of all retain their vegetative power 

 a considerable time, therefore, in most cases, they may be intro- 

 duced in a living state. 



Synopsis of the Genera. 



1 POLY'GALA. Sepals 5, permanent, 2 inner ones wing- 

 formed. Petals 3-5, united with the staminiferous tube ; the 

 lower petal keel- formed. Capsule compressed. Seeds pubes- 

 cent, with a caruncle at the hilum. 



2 SALOMO'NIA. Sepals 5, nearly equal. Tube of corolla 

 cleft longitudinally, with a S-cleft limb. Keel cucullate. Sta- 

 mens monadelphous ; anthers 4. Capsules compressed, 2-lobed, 

 usually serrate-ciliated. Small Asiatic herbs. 



3 COMESPE'RMA. Sepals 5, deciduous, 2 inner ones wing- 

 formed. Petals 3-5, united at the base, middle one 3-lobed 

 and bearded (f. 69. a.). Stamens 8, monadelphous at the 

 base. Capsule spatulate (f. 69. 6.), 2-celled. Seeds with a 

 tuft of long hairs at the hilum (f. 69. c.), and a linear caruncle at 

 the top. 



4 BADIE'RA. Sepals 5, nearly equal, deciduous. Petals 3, 

 connected at the base, beardless. Stamens 8, monadelphous. 

 Capsule compressed, obcordate, 2-celled. Seeds furnished with 

 a large oily arillus. 



5 SOULA'MEA. Sepals 5, 2 inner ones large, concave. Petal 

 1. Stamens 2-6. Capsule indehiscent, compressed, orbicular, 

 emarginate, 2-celled. Seeds without albumen. 



6 MUHA'LTIA. Sepals 5, glumaceous, nearly equal. Petals 

 3, united, middle one bifid ; lobes obtuse. Capsule crowned by 

 4 horns or tubercles, 2-valved, 2-celled. 



7 MUN'DIA. Sepals 5, permanent, glumaceous, 2 inner ones 

 wing-formed. Petals 3, hardly united at the base, the middle 

 one cucullate, crested or beardless. Stamens 7-8, monadelphous 

 at the base, with the tube cleft in front. Drupe 2-celled, or from 

 abortion only 1 -celled, 1 -seeded. Albumen fleshy. 



8 MONNINA. Flowers resupinate. Sepals 5 (f. 70. a.), 

 deciduous, 2 inner ones wing-formed, 3 outer ovate, 2 of these 

 are usually united. Petals 3-5, connate at the base (f. 70. &.), 

 middle one concave, 3-toothed. Stamens 8 (f. 70. &.), rather 

 pilose, united into a tube at the base, which is cleft on one side. 

 Drupe or capsule 2-celled, 2-seeded, or 1-celled, 1-seeded (f. 70. 

 c.), girded by a membranous wing or without (f. 70. rf.). Seed 

 hanging from the top of the cell (f. 70. rf.). Albumen sparing. 



9 JA'CKIA. Sepals 5, equal, deciduous. Petals 5, middle 

 one keel-formed. Stamens 8, diadelphous. Drupe ovate, con- 

 taining a 1-seeded nucleus. Albumen none. 



10 BKEDEME'YERA. Sepals 5, 2 inner ones petal-like. Petals 

 3, middle one keel-formed. Stamens 8, monadelphous. Drupe 

 ovate, containing a 2-celled nut. 



1 1 SECUHIDA'CA. Sepals 5, 2 inner ones petal-like. Petals 

 5, united at the base, lower one 3-lobed, upper two connivent. 

 Stamens 8, united into a tube, which is cleft in front. Cap- 

 sule compressed, indehiscent, 1-celled, 1-seeded, ending in a 

 leafy ligulate wing at the apex. Seed hanging from the top of 

 the cell. Albumen wanting. 



12 CARPOLO'BIA. Sepals 5, 2 lateral ones wing-shaped. 

 Petals 5, lower one keel-shaped. Stamens 6, monadelphous. 

 Berry fleshy, containing a silky 1-seeded legume. 



13 KRAME'RIA. Sepals 4, rarely 5, silky outside. Petals 4-5, 



2 of which are orbicular (f. 71. &.), the third constantly of 2 or 



3 united petals, all unguiculate. Stamens 3-4, free from the 

 base. Anthers bursting by 2 pores. Fruit 1-celled, 1-seeded, 

 globose (f. 71./.), indehiscent, echinated (f. 70. e.). 



I. POLY'GALA (from tro\v, poly, much, and yct\a, gala, 

 milk ; alluding to the reputed effects of the plant on cattle 

 that feed upon it.) Tourn. inst. t. 79. Lin. gen. no. D. C. prod, 

 l.p. 321. 



LIN. SYST. Monodelphia, Octdndria. Sepals 5, permanent, 2 

 inner ones wing-formed, 3 outer ones small. Petals 3-5, united 

 with the tube of the stamens, lower petal keel-formed (perhaps 

 from 2 petals being constantly joined.) Stamens 8, with the 

 filaments connate into a tube at the base, which is cleft in front. 

 Anthers opening by a pore at the apex. Capsules compressed, 

 elliptical, obovate or obcordate. Seeds pubescent, caruncu- 

 late at the hilum, with the caruncle rarely inappendiculate. 

 Elegant shrubs or herbs. Flowers disposed in terminal or ax- 

 illary racemes. 



SECT. I. PSYCHA'NTHUS (from ^v\rj, psyche, a butterfly, and 

 avSoe, anthos, a flower ; form of flowers.) Raf. speech. 1. p. 

 116. D. C. prod. 1. p. 321. Keel amply crested. Capsules 

 smooth, marginate. Bracteas 3, usually permanent at the base 

 of the pedicels. This section consists of elegant shrubs from 

 the Cape of Good Hope, and one from Arabia. The flowers of 

 all are purple, usually with a pale crest and keel. 



* Leaves opposite. Perhaps all the species in this division are 

 varieties of one, 



1 P. OPPOSITIFO'LIA (Lin. mant. 259.) leaves opposite, cor- 

 date, ovate, acute. 1^ . G. Native on mountains at the Cape 

 of Good Hope. Very like the following species. Ker. hot. 

 reg. 636. Flowers purplish. Keel yellowish-green. 



Opposite-leaved Milkwort. Fl. year. Clt. 1790. Sh. 3 to 4 ft. 



2 P. CORDIFO'LIA (Thunb. prod. 120.) leaves opposite, cor- 

 date, acuminated ; anthers bearded at the base ; branchlets 

 terete, glabrous ; racemes terminal, subcorymbose. Tj . G. 

 Native of the Cape of Good Hope. P. fruticosa, Berg. cap. 

 188. Flowers red or purplish. Keel yellowish-green. 



Cordate-leaved Milkwort. Fl. March, Aug. Clt. 1791. 

 Shrub 3 feet. 



3 P. LATIFOLIA (Ker. bot. reg. 645.) leaves opposite, almost 

 sessile, cordate-ovate, acuminate, 3-5-nerved, villous beneath, as 

 well as the branches ; corymbs terminal ; anthers bearded at the 

 base. Tj . G. P. cordifdlia, Sims, bot. mag. 2438. but not of 

 Thunb. Flowers purplish. Keel yellowish-green. 



Broad-leaved Milkwort. Fl. May, Oct. Clt. 1820. Shrub 

 3 feet. 



4 P. TETRA'GONA (Burch. cat. no. 4639.) leaves opposite- 

 cordate, acuminated ; branches tetragonal, glabrous. 1? . G. 

 Native of the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers large, purplish, 

 in terminal racemes. P. cordifolia, var. major, Lindl. bot. 

 reg. t. 1146. 



