A R I 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



A R I 



121 



Corolla : glume bivalve, thicker than the calix ,- outer valve 

 linear, converging longitudinally, hirsute at the base, termi- 

 nated by three awns, subequal, patulous ; inner valve lance- 

 olate, sharp, very short, wrapped within the outer valve ; 

 nectary two-leaved ; leaflets lanceolate, obtuse. Stamina : 

 filamenta capillary ; antherae oblong. Pistil : germen tur- 

 binate ; styles capillary ; stigmas villose. Pericarp : none ; 

 glume converging, involving, gaping. Seed : one, filiform, 

 the length of the corolla, naked. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. 

 Calix two-valved. Corolla : one-valved, with three termi- 

 nal awns. The species are, 



1 . Aristida Adscensionis. Panicle branching ; pikes 

 scattered ; corollas one-valved ; culms in tufts. Native of 

 Jamaica, in dry sands ; there called Bearded Grass. 



<2. Aristida Americana. Panicle simple ; corollas two- 

 valved, one with dorsal, the other with terminating awns ; 

 culm half afoot high. Native of Jamaica. 



3. Aristida Plumosa. Panicled : the middle awn longest 

 and woolly ; culms villose. Found in America. 



4. Aristida Arundinacea. Panicled : corollas two-valved, 

 middle awn longer, smooth ; culms four feet high ; leaves 

 narrow, even, striated. It was found in the East Indies. 



5. Aristida Gigantea. Panicle elongated, loose, one- 

 ranked) calices one-flowered ; awns of the corolla subequal, 

 straight. A very lofty, branching, and smooth Grass ; found 

 upon the island of Teneriffe. 



6. Aristida Hystrix. Panicle divaricated, very spreading ; 

 flowers quite simple, smooth ; awns straight.divaricated. A 

 creeping, stolonilferous, smooth Grass ; observed in Malabar. 



Aristolochia ; a genus of the class Gynandria, order Hex- 

 andria. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: none. Corolla : mo- 

 nopetalous, tubular, irregular ; base swelling, subglobular, 

 torulose ; tube oblong, hexagon-cylindric ; limb dilated, ex- 

 tended below into a long tongue. Stamina : filamenta none ; 

 antherae six, fastened at bottom to the stigmas, four-celled. 

 Pistil : germen oblong, inferior, angular ; style scarcely any ; 

 stigma subglobular, six parted, concave. Pericarp : capsule 

 large, six-angled, six-celled. Seeds : several, depressed, in- 

 cumbent. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Stigmas six. Calix : 

 none. Corolla : monopetalous, tongue-shaped, entire. Cap- 

 sule : six-celled, inferior. All the plants of this genus, that 

 are natives of hot climates, are propagated by seed procured 

 from their native countries ; sown in small pots of light earth, 

 as soon as they arrive, and, if it be autumn or winter, they 

 must be plunged into the tan of the bark-stove between 

 some large plants, to screen them from the sun, as they de- 

 light in shade. In March they must be removed into a 



hot-bed frame, where the plants will appear in May. 



The species are, 



1. Aristolochia Bilobata ; Two-lobed Bir thwart. Leaves 

 two-lobed, cordate ; stem twining, filiform, subdivided. 

 It flowers from November until January, and covers the 

 trees and shrubs in Dominica and Hispaniola. 



2. Aristolochia Trilobata : Three-lobed Birthwort. Leaves 

 three-lobed ; stem twining; flowers very large, bagged at the 

 base ; tongue linear, very long. A climbing plant, with an 

 aromatic stem. The roots of this and the tenth species are 

 accounted warm attenuants, and active diuretics and sto- 

 machics ; they are administered in infusions, and greatly used 

 among the slaves of Jamaica, where they naturally grow. 

 This species abounds most on the north side of the island, 

 and is therefore called Contrayerva of the North-side. It is 

 also a native of the South American continent. 



3. Aristolochia Pentandra ; Fwe-stamined Birthwort. 

 Leaves cordate, hastate, subtrilobate ; stem twining ; bracte 

 cordate, embracing. Native of America. 



VOL. i. 11. 





4. Aristolochia Peltata; Peltated Birthwort. Leaves 

 kidney-shaped, subpeltate ; stem twining, filiform, striated ; 

 root woody, corky, perennial. It flowers in February and 

 March, and is a native of St. Domingo, in very dry coppices 

 and also of the continent of South America. 



5. Aristolochia Maxima ; Greatest Birthwort. Leaves 

 oblong, acuminate; stem twining; peduncles many-flowered; 

 flowers curved, in loose clusters ; stem corky next the root. 

 Found near Carthagena in New Spain. 



6. Aristolochia Bilabiata ; Two-lipped Birthwort. Leaves 

 cordate, tongue-shaped, obtuse ; stem twining; corollas 

 two-lipped, brown-purple, striated. Flowers in spring, and 

 is found upon a calcareous soil, in the hedges of Hispaniola ; 

 it is also a native of South America. 



7. Aristolochia Erecta ; Upright Birthwort. Leaves lan- 

 ceolate, sessile, subhirsute ; stem erect ; peduncles solitary, 

 one-flowered ; flowers very long, dark purple ; rises three 

 feet high. It was discovered at La Vera Cruz, in New 

 Spain. 



8. Aristolochia Arborescens ; Tree Birthwort. Leaves 

 cordate, lanceolate ; stem erect, shrubby ; flowers solitary, 

 axillary. Called Snakeroot in North America, where it na- 

 turally grows to the height of two feet. 



9. Aristolochia Caudata ; Tailed Birthwort. Leaves cor- 

 date, obtuse, emarginate at the tip ; lobes incumbent, lip- 

 tailed. Native of America. 



10. Aristolochia Odoratissima ; Sweet-scented Birthwort. 

 Leaves cordate ; stem twining, shrubby ; peduncles solitary : 

 lip of the corolla very large, yellowish. It has a long round 

 geniculated root, as thick as a finger ; the whole plant has a 

 strong and very grateful smell. In Jamaica, where it natu- 

 rally grows, it is called Contrayerva of the South-side, to 

 distinguish it from the second species ; which see. 



11. Aristolochia Sipho ; Broad- leaved Birthwort. Leaves 

 cordate, petioled ; flowers solitary ; border, trifid, equal ; 

 corolla purplish-brown ; bracte ovate. A tall twining shrub, 

 flowering in June and July : a native of North America. 



12. Aristolochia Anguicida ; Snake-killing Birthwort. 

 Leaves cordate, acuminate ; stem twining, shrubby ; pe- 

 duncles solitary ; stipules cordate ; root long, thick, pale 

 coloured ; corolla purple. If the juice of the root, mixed 

 with the saliva, be put into the mouth of a serpent, he may 

 be safely handled, but will recover himself after two hours ; 

 several of the other species are said to produce the same 

 effect. Native of Mexico and the West Indies. 



13. Aristolochia Maurorum ; Moorish Birthwort. Leaves 

 hastate, quite entire ; stem weak, simple ; flowers solitary, 

 recurved, brown. This plant has an unpleasant smell : 

 seen in olive-grounds near Aleppo. 



14. Aristolochia Indica ; Indian Birthwort. Leaves cor- 

 date, rather acute ; stem twining, shrubby ; peduncles many- 

 flowered; corolla dusky purple. A native of the East Indies, 

 and Cochin-china. It is bitter, but has not much smell, 

 and is thought to be an attenuant, and remover of obstruc- 

 tions. 



15. Aristolochia Bcetica ; Spanish Birthwort. Leaves 

 cordate, rather acute ; stem twining ; peduncles about three, 

 longer than the petioles ; root very long, pale-coloured, acri- 

 moniously astringent. It is an evergreen, flowering in Ja- 

 nuary and February, and a native of Spain. 



16. Aristolochia Sempervirens ; Evergreen Birthwort. 

 Leaves cordate-oblong, acuminate, waved ; stem weak ; 

 flowers solitary ; roots many, slender, odorous. It flowers 

 in May and June, and is a native of the isle of Candia. 



17. Aristolochia Serpentaria ; Virginia Birthwort, or 

 Snake-root. Leaves cordate-oblong, flat; stems weak, 



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