SPIGELIACE^:. I. SPIGELIA. II. MITREOLA. 



171 



whorl ; spikes solitary ; corolla funnel-shaped : stamens inclosed, 

 twice shorter than the corolla ; coccae glabrous. 11 . H. Na- 

 tive of New Granada, near Guaduas, in temperate places. Stem 

 sub-tetragonal. Leaves 3-4 inches long. Calycine segments 

 linear-subulate, with hispid edges. 



Hamellia-like Worm-grass. PI. 1 foot. ? 



11 S. PEDUNCULA'TA (Willd. mss. ex Roam, et Schultes, syst. 

 4. p. 787. H. B. et Kunth, 1. c.) herbaceous, glabrous ; stem 

 nearly simple ; leaves oblong, long-acuminated, rather scabrous 

 on the margins, upper ones usually 4 in a whorl ; spikes solitary, 

 on long peduncles ; stamens equal in length to the corolla ; co- 

 rolla funnel-shaped ; coccse glabrous. Tf. . S. Native on the 

 declivities of the Andes, about Quindiu, near El Moral. Stems 

 nearly terete. Calycine segments linear-lanceolate, with hispid 

 edges. Corolla purple. 



/Wnc/f-spiked Worm-grass. PI. 1^ foot. 



12 S. SPECIOSA (H. B. et Kunth, 1. c. p. 186. t. 224.) herba- 

 ceous ; stems simple, tetragonal, downy ; leaves opposite, 

 roundish, acute, sessile, glabrous, but downy on the veins be- 

 neath, and ciliated on the margins ; spikes terminal, sessile, 

 solitary ; corolla funnel-shaped ; stamens exserted. y. . S. 

 Native near the city of Mexico. Root tuberous. Veins of 

 leaves purplish. Corolla large, flesh-coloured ; with a green, 

 revolute limb. 



Shorvy Worm-grass. Fl. April. PL \\ foot. 



13 S. MARYLA'NDICA (Lin. syst. 197. mant. 2. p. 330.) 

 herbaceous ; stems simple, tetragonal, scabrous : leaves oppo- 

 site, sessile, oval-lanceolate, glabrous ; spikes solitary ; corolla 

 funnel-shaped ; stamens inclosed ; coccae glabrous. ? % . H. 

 Native of Virginia, Maryland, Carolina, Georgia, &c. on the 

 edges of woods, in rich moist soil ; and on the banks of the 

 Arkansas, in the forests near the first cliffs. Michx. fl. bor. 

 amer. 1. p. 148. Pursh, 1. p. 139. Curt. bot. mag. t. 80. 

 Lodd. bot. cab. 930. Stev. et Church, med. bot. 1. t. 7. 

 Plench, t. 89. Heyne, term. bot. t. 44. f. 5. Garden and Hope, 

 act. edinb. 3. 1771. p. 145-153. t. 1. Lonicera Marylandica, 

 Lin. spec. 2. p. 249. Catesb. car. 2. t. 78. Corollas scarlet 

 outside and yellow inside. Calycine segments subulate. The 

 roots are sold under the name of norm-grass or pink-root, or 

 Indian pink in the shops. This is a mucilaginous plant, with a 

 mild and not disagreeable taste. The infusion and decoction 

 of the root and leaves afford a flocculent precipitate with alco- 

 hol. The plant was first used by the Cherokee Indians as an 

 anthelmintic. Drs. Lining, Garden, and Chalmers first intro- 

 duced it to notice ; and their subsequent experience tended to 

 confirm its utility. The root possesses the greatest activity, 

 and is given in doses of from 10 grains, two or three times a 

 day. If it proves purgative it is said to be most effective ; and 

 should it not, it must be combined with cathartics, which pre- 

 vent the narcotic symptoms, such as stupor, head-ache, dilated 

 pupil, flushings of the face, stiffness of the eyelids, that so fre- 

 quently follow its administration. It is said to be most useful 

 in lumbrica ; and it is to its narcotic principle that Dr. Good 

 attributes its vermifuge powers, which it possesses in common 

 w tn Spigelia anthelmia. Notwithstanding all that has been 

 said in its favour, its real anthelmintic properties are somewhat 

 equivocal. The plant is called Unsteetla by the Cherokee Indians. 



Maryland Worm-grass. Fl. July, Aug. Clt. 1694. PI. i 

 to 1 foot. 



3. A'nnuce. Annual plants- 

 It S. ANTHE'LMIA (Lin. amcen. 5. p. 133. t. 2.) herbaceous, 

 roughish ; stems nearly terete, branched ; leaves on short pe- 

 tioles, ovate, long-acuminated, or oblong-acute : floral ones 4 

 in a whorl ; spikes aggregate ; corollas funnel-shaped ; stamens 

 inclosed; coccae muricately scabrous. Q. S. Native of 



Guiana, Cayenne, New Granada, Trinidad, and Brazil. In New 

 Andalusia it is called Yerba de Lombrices. Sims, bot. mag. 

 2359. Lam. ill. t. 107. Brown, jam. p. 156. t. 37. f. 3. 

 Plum. gen. p. 11. t. 31 Plenck, off. t. 88. Brazeel-Parrsis, 

 Petiv. gaz. t. 59. f. 10. Corollas pale red, small. 



Anthelmintic Worm-grass. Fl. July. Clt. 1759. PI. i to 

 1 foot. 



15 S. FLEMMINGIA V NA (Schlecht, in Linnaea. 1. p. 203. 

 Mart. nov. gen. bras. 2. p. 130.) herbaceous, glabrous; stem 

 and branches nearly terete ; leaves petiolate, oblong-lanceolate, 

 acuminated at both ends : floral ones 4 in a whorl ; spikes soli- 

 tary, elongated, on short peduncles ; corolla funnel-shaped ; 

 stamens inclosed; coccae smooth. Q. S. Native of Brazil, 

 within the tropic. Very like S. anthelmia. 



Flemming's Worm-grass. PI. to 1 foot. 



16 S. PUSILLA (Mart. 1. c. p. 130.) herbaceous, downy ; 

 branches procumbent, and are as well as the stem tetragonal ; 

 leaves on short petioles, opposite, ovate, attenuated at the base, 

 acutish ; flowers few, terminal, sessile ; corolla tubularly ven- 

 tricose ; coccae smooth. 0. S. Native of Brazil, in woods, 

 near Sebastianople. Corollas white, suffused with red. Flowers 

 2-3 together at the tops of the branches. 



Small Worm-grass. PI. procumbent. 



Cult. All the species of this genus are very showy while in 

 blossom, and are therefore worth cultivating in every collection. 

 The best soil for them is an equal mixture of loam and peat. 

 Young cuttings of the shrubby and herbaceous perennial kinds 

 root freely, planted in the same kind of soil, with a hand-glass 

 placed over them. S. Marylandica sometimes survives the 

 winter when planted in the open ground, in a peat border. The 

 annual kinds should be treated as other tender annuals. 



II. MITRE'OLA (a dim. of furpa, mitra, a mitre ; form of 

 capsule). Rich, in Michx. fl. bor. amer. 1. p. 148. R. Br. 

 prod. p. 450. Cynoctonum, Gmel. syst. 443. Anonymos, 

 Walt. fl. car. 108. Ophiorhiza spec. Lin. Michx. 



LIN. STST. Pentdndria, Monogy'nia. Calyx 5-parted, per- 

 manent. Corolla urceolate or funnel-shaped ; having the tube 

 much longer than the calyx ; a villous mouth ; and ovate, acute 

 segments. Stamens inclosed. Style articulated at the base ? ; 

 bifid at apex ; stigmas blunt. Capsule 2-lobed or of 2 coccae ; 

 coccae or lobes diverging, dehiscing inside. Seeds numerous, 

 angular, fixed to 2 elongated placentas, one in each coccae 

 or cell. Erect herbaceous plants, with opposite leaves ; and 

 terminal secund spikes of flowers. 



1 M. SESSILIFOLIA (R. Br. prod. p. 450.) stem acutely tetra- 

 gonal ; leaves opposite, sessile, ovate ; cymes on long pedun- 

 cles; flowers unilateral. If.. H. Native of Lower Virginia 

 and Carolina, in dry gravelly fields, by wood sides. Ophiorhiza, 

 Mitreola, Lin. spec. 213. Michx. fl. amer. bor. 1. p. 148. 

 Willd. spec. 1. p. 826. Pursh, 1. p. 139. Lam. ill. t. 107. 

 f. 1. Cynoctonum sessilifolium, Gmel. syst. 443. Anonymos 

 sessilifolia, Walt. fl. car. p. 108. Flowers small, pale blue. 

 Style bifid. Cynoctonum petiolatum, Gmel. 1. c. the Ar.ony- 

 mos petiolata, Walt. 1. c. is probably a mere variety of this plant. 



Sessile-leaved Mitreola. Fl. July. PI. 1 foot. 



2 M. SWA'RTZII ; glabrous ; stem tetragonal, simple, or 

 branched, terete at top ; leaves on short petioles, acute, gla- 

 brous ; spikes terminal, slender, unilateral : flowers digynous, 

 solitary in the forks. I/ . S. Native of Jamaica. Ophiorhiza 

 Mitreola, Swartz, obs. p. 59. t. 3. f. 2. exclusive of the syno- 

 nymes. Flowers small, white, a little longer than the calyx. 

 Styles 2. 



Stvarlz's Mitreola. PI. 1 foot. 



3 M. PANICULA'TA (Wall. cat. no. 4349.) erect, paniculately 

 branched ; stem and branches slightly tetragonal ; leaves ovate, 



