3S8 



ARALIACE./E. VI. GASTONIA. VII. POLYSCIAS. VIII. TORICELIIA. IX. ARALIA. 



t A species not described. 



6 G. SAURUROIDES (D. C. 1. c.) Tj . S. Native of the Moluc- 

 cas. Gastonica saururoides, Roxb. hort. beng. p. !'0. 



Saururus-like Gilibertia. Tree. 



Cult. Shrubs and trees, having handsome foliage. The soil 

 best adapted to grow these is a mixture of sand, loam, and peat; 

 and cuttings are readily rooted, if planted in sand under a hand- 

 glass in heat. 



VI. GASTO'NIA (Commerson instituted this genus in honour 

 of Gaston de Bourbon, son of Henry IV. of France ; a promoter 

 of botany). Comm. in Juss. gen. 217. Lam. diet. 2. p. 610. 

 D. C. prod. 4. p. 256. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Digynia. Margin of calyx entire, 

 drawn out beyond the ovarium. Petals 5-16. Stamens double 

 the number of the petals, 2 of which are opposite each petal. 

 Ovarium 8-12-celIed. Styles 8-12, short, concrete at the very 

 base. Fruit 8-12-celled, 8-12-ribbed, nearly dry, ex Juss. cap- 

 sular. A tree, native of the Mauritius. Leaves impari-pinnate. 

 Flowers umbellate ; umbels exinvolucrate, disposed in panicles. 



1 G. CUTISPONGIA (Lam. diet. 2. p. 610.) Jj . S. Native of 

 Bourbon, where it is called by the inhabitants bois d' eponge or 

 sponge-mood. G. spongiosa, Pers. ench. 2. p. 20. Araliaceae, 

 Sieb. fl. maur. exsic. 2. p. 197. A tall smooth tree, covered 

 with spongy bark. Leaves at the tops of the branches impari- 

 pinnate : with 5 coriaceous, ovate, obtuse, quite entire leaflets. 

 Racemes rising under the leaves, bearing umbels, containing 

 about 20 flowers each. 



Spongy-barked Gastonia. Tree tall. 



Cult. See Gastonia above for culture and propagation. 



VII. POLY'SCIAS (from iro\v, poly, many, and ama, skia, 

 a shadow ; in reference to the numerous umbels). Forst. 

 gen. p. 63. t. 32. Lam. diet. 5. p. 559. ill. t. 320. with a figure. 

 D. C. prod. 4. p. 257. 



LIN. SYST. Pent-Octdndria, Tri-Pentagynia. Margin of calyx 

 short, denticulated. Petals 5-7, but usually 8, lanceolate, spread- 

 ing. Stamens equal in number to the petals, and alternating 

 with them. Style wanting ; stigmas 3-5, short, erectly spread- 

 ing. Berry globose, crowned by the margin of the calyx and 

 stigmas, 4-celled, 4-seeded, Leaves pinnate. Umbels com- 

 pound or verticillately proliferous; umbellules of many rays, 

 flat. The rest unknown. A very doubtful genus, but probably 

 only a species of A 'r 'alia. 



1 P. I-INNA'TA (Forst. 1. c.) 1? . G. Native of the islands in 

 the Southern ocean. P. umbellata, Spreng. ex Steud. nom. 546. 

 A plant has been sent by La Billardiere from New Zealand, 

 under the name of Polyscias, which rather disagrees with the 

 description given by Forster of his plant, in the branches of the 

 panicle being verticillate, and in the umbellules being 5-7- 

 rlowered. Margin of calyx nearly entire. Disk fleshy, cover- 

 ing the ovarium. Styles 2-3, erect, approximate, acute. Leaf- 

 lets oblong, obtuse at the base, and acuminated at the apex, 

 with somewhat denticulated margins. 



Pinnate-leaved Polyscias. Tree or shrub. 



Cult. See Cussbnta, p. 387. for culture and propagation. 



VIII. TORICE'LLIA (in honour of Dr. Toricelli, who pre- 

 pared a barometer for the measurement of mountains, and there- 

 fore lias done something towards the geography of botany). 

 D. C. prod. 4. p. 257. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Tetragy'nia. Margin of calyx acutely 

 5-toothed. Petals 5, oblong, attenuated at the base, and unci- 

 nately incurved at the apex. Stamens 5 ; filaments very short ; 



anthers ovate. Styles 4, straight, short. Berry nearly dry, 

 ovate, crowned by the calyx, 4-celled. Seed unknown. A 

 small mountain shrub : with terete white glabrous branches, 

 ringed with cicatrices. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, simple, 

 cordate, roundish, membranous, palmately 5-nerved, coarsely 

 and acutely toothed, somewhat 5-lobed, pubescent along the 

 nerves and nervules ; petioles rather dilated at the base. Panicle 

 terminal, many flowered. Flowers abortive or polygamous, or 

 the number of parts are rather variable. This genus is nearly 

 allied to Polyscias. 



1 T. TILI^FOLIA (D. C. prod. 4. p. 257.) I? . H. Native of 

 Nipaul, on the highest mountains. Sambucus ? tiliaefolia, Wall, 

 mss. Leaves 5-6 inches in diameter, on petioles 3 inches long. 



Lime-tree-leaved Toricellia. Shrub 1 to 2 feet. 



Cult. This shrub will grow very well in the open ground, and 

 it may be increased by cuttings or seeds. 



IX. ARA'LIA (a name of unknown meaning, under which 

 one species was sent to Fagon from Quebec, in 1764, by one 

 Sarrazin, a French physician). D. Don, prod. fl. nep. 185. in a 

 note. Kunth, nov. gen. amer. 5. p. 8. in a note. D. C. prod. 4. 

 p. 257. Aralia species of Lin. and other authors. Ar&lia verae, 

 Blum, bijdr. 869. 



LIN. SYST. Pentdndria, Pentagy'nia. Margin of calyx very 

 short, entire or toothed. Petals 5, free, and expanded at the 

 apex. Stamens 5. Styles 5, expanded, spreading divaricately. 

 Berry 5-celled, usually torose. Pyrenae chartaceous. Herbs 

 and shrubs, indigenous to North America, with compound 

 leaves; and umbellate white flowers, which are usually disposed 

 in panicles. 



1 . Unarmed species. 



1 A. NUDICAU'LIS (Lin. spec. 393.) plant stemless ; radical leaf 

 one, with a trifid petiole : impari-pinnate divisions, bearing each 5 

 ovate acute serrated leaflets ; scape trifid at the apex, shorter 

 than the leaf: each division bearing a many-flowered umbel, 

 without any involucrum. 1. H. Native of North America, from 

 Canada to Carolina, and from Lake Huron throughout the woody 

 country to lat 64, and the Rocky Mountains; and of Newfound- 

 land. "Lam. diet. 1. p. 224. Torr. fl. un. St. 1. p. 327. Big. fl. 

 bost. ed. 2. p. 122. Rafin. med. hot. 1. t. 8. Pluk. aim. t. 238. 

 f. 5. Petals white, reflexed. Stamens exserted. Styles 3-5, 

 short, erect, distinct. The Crees use the root of this plant as a 

 remedy against the venereal disease, under the name of wampoos- 

 ootchepeh, i. e. rabbit-root ; and also they apply the bruised bark 

 of its root to recent wounds. Richardson. The roots were for- 

 merly brought over and sold for sarsaparilla, and some of the 

 inhabitants of Canada make use of it as such, but it is very dif- 

 ferent from the true sort. A. nudicaulis, Blum, bijdr. p. 870. 

 introduced into Java from Japan, is distinct from our plant. 



Naked-stemmed Aralia. Fl. June, July. Clt. 1731. PI. | 

 to 1 foot. 



2 A. RACEMOSA (Lin. spec. 393.) stem herbaceous, smooth, 

 divaricately branched ; petioles tripartite, the partitions bearing 

 each 3-5, ovate or cordate, acuminated, serrated, smoothish 

 leaflets ; peduncles axillary, and disposed in a terminal raceme, 

 umbelliferous ; involucrum small, of few leaves. 1(L.H. Native of 

 North America, from Canada to Virginia, in rocky shady situa- 

 tions ; throughout Canada, &c. from Lake Huron to the Sas- 

 katchawan. Schkuhr, handb. 1. t. 86. Hayn. term. bot. t. 38. 

 f. 5. Corn. can. t. 75. Moris, hist, sect. 1. t. 2. f. 9. Petals 

 greenish-white, spreading. Styles 5, short, erect, hardly re- 

 curved at the apex. Fruit 5-ribbed. Stamens equal in length 

 to the petals. The plant is called spikenard in North America, 

 and is highly esteemed as a medicine. Axillary branches leafy. 



