CAR 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



CAR 



the upper part of the plant, upon very short peduncles 

 singly sitting close to the stem ; they are large and bell 

 shaped, composed of six petals, which are commonly yellow 

 but those of the pyramidal sort are purple ; when these fal 

 away, the germen swells to a large fleshy fruit, the size of 

 small Melon, but of different forms ; some are angular, an 

 compressed at both ends, others are oval and globular, an 

 some pyramidal ; the fruit also abounds with the same acri 

 juice as the plants : this fruit, when ripe, is eaten like Melons 

 with pepper and sugar, by the inhabitants of the Carribbee 

 Islands ; but it is much inferior to our common Melon in fla 

 vour, even in its native country, and those which have ripene( 

 in England were detestable. The best use that can be mad 

 of this fruit is, to soak them in salt water till the milky juice is 

 extracted, and then to pickle them for mangos, for which the} 

 have been esteemed a good substitute. Long informs us, thai 

 the flowers, buds, and tender footstalks of the hermaphrodite 

 or female trees, are preserved as a sweetmeat, and the long 

 mango Papaw, or fruit, as a pickle, which is little inferior to 

 the East Indian mango : the rounder fruit is boiled when 

 green, and eaten with any kind of flesh meat, being lookec 

 upon as perfectly wholesome ; but when eaten raw, contains 

 an acrid juice, which is very destructive to the intestines 

 The negroes suppose, that Papaw trees conduce to the puri- 

 fication of the air, and therefore plant them near their houses. 

 The blossoms are extremely odoriferous, and the trunks so 

 succulent and so quick of growth, that they probably assist 

 to drain off a large portion of superfluous moisture from the 

 soil where they are planted. Native of both Indies, America, 

 and the Philippine Islands. 



2. Carica Posoposa ; Dwarf Papaw Tree. Lobes of the 

 leaves entire. This was found growing in a garden at Lima, 

 by father Feuille"e, who remarks, that it was the only plant 

 of its kind that he had seen in his travels. Brown says, 

 that it is frequent in some parts of Jamaica, and that it sel- 

 dom rises above four or five feet in height. It differs from 

 the first species in having a branching stalk, the lobes or 

 divisions of the leaves being entire, and the fruit shaped like 

 a pear. Feuille'e says, that the fruits were of different sizes: 

 that which he designed was about eight inches long, and 

 three and a half thick, yellow within and without, and of a 

 sweet flavour; the flower of a rose-colour, and only divided 

 into five parts. Native of Surinam and Peru. 



Carissa ; a genus of the class Pentandria, order Monogy- 

 nia. GEN-ERIC CHARACTER. Callx : perianth very small, 

 five-parted, acute, permanent. Corolla : monopetalous, 

 funnel-form ; tune cylindrical, bellying at the mouth, longer 

 than the border ; border five-parted, flat ; divisions oblong. 

 Stamina : filamenta five, very short, in the top of the tube : 

 antherae oblong within the mouth. Pistil: germen round- 

 ish ; style filiform, length of the stamina , stigma rather sim- 

 ple. Pericarp : berries two-celled, oblong, bilocular. Seeds: 

 seven or eight, oval, compressed. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. 

 Corolla: contorted. Berries: two-celled, many-seeded. 

 The species are, 



1. Carissa Carandas. Leaves elliptic, obtuse. A small 

 tree, about six feet in height, with dichotomous branches ; 

 flowers like those of Jessamine ; berry when ripe, black, and 

 of a sweet acid flavour. The fruit is universally eaten by 

 the natives, and is grateful even to the taste of an European. 

 Native of the East Indies. 



2. Carissa Spinarum. Leaves ovate, acute. A tree with 

 branches, first trichotomous then dichotomous, horizontal. 

 Native of the East Indies and Japan. 



Carima ; a genus of the class Syngenesia, order Poly- 

 gamia ^Equalis. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : common 

 VOL. i. 22. 



ventricose, radiated, imbricated ; scales numerous, loose, 

 acute, of which the interior ones are disposed in a circle, 

 very long, expanding, glossy, coloured, radiating the com- 

 pound flower. Corolla: compound uniform, tubular; corol- 

 lets hermaphrodite, equal ; the proper one monopetalous, 

 funnel-form : tube slender; border five -cleft. Stamina: fila- 

 menta five, capillary very short ; anthera? cylindric, tubu- 

 lar. Pistil : germen short ; style filiform, length of the sta- 

 mina; stigma oblong, bifid or entire. Pericarp: none. Calix: 

 remaining unchanged. Seeds: solitary, somewhat rounded ; 

 down plumose, branched, sessile. Receptacle : flat ; chaffs 

 ternate, cleft. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: radiated 

 with long, coloured, marginal scales. The plants of this 

 genus may all be propagated by sowing their seeds in the 

 spring, on a bed of fresh undunged earth, where they are to 

 remain ; for, as they send forth tap roots, they will not bear 

 transplanting so well as most other plants. When they ap- 

 pear above ground, they should be carefully weeded, and, as 

 they grow in size, thinned where they are too close, leaving 

 them about ten inches or a foot asunder. The greatest part 

 of them will flower in the second year ; but unless the sum- 

 mer prove dry, they rarely produce good seeds in England, 

 and most of them decay soon after they have flowered ; and 

 hence it is rather difficult to preserve a succession of them 



in this country. The species are, 



1. Carlina Acaulis ; Low Carline Thistle. Stem one- 

 flowered, shorter than the flower. Root an inch thick, black, 

 woody, having an acrid penetrating smell, and a bitter aro- 

 matic taste ; flower usually one, but sometimes more, three 

 inches in diameter when expanded, for it closes during the 

 night and in rainy weather ; rays white, shining ; floscules 

 greenish yellow.with purple toothlets. Native of Switzerland, 

 Germany, Carniola, Italy, and south of France. Perennial. 

 The receptacle and upper part of the root are eaten when 

 tender; but the root of the adult plant becomes acrimonious, 

 and is recommended as an alexipharmic. It contains an 

 acrid resinous principle, by which it stimulates the solids, 

 dissolves the humours, and promotes perspiration. The dose 

 of the dried root is from one to two drachms ; when fresh, 

 rom two drachms to half an ounce ; but it is more fre- 

 quently given in decoction, than in substance. 



2. Carlina Lanata ; Woolly Carline Thistle. Stem bifid ; 

 caliees blood-red, terminal, the first axillary, sessile. When 

 out of flower, it puts off the wool. The juice is blood-red : 



he true scales of the calix are all terminated by a very sim- 

 )le spine, but in the rest the spines are compound; ray pur- 

 ile on both sides. Annual ; and a native of the south of 

 'ranee, and Italy. 



3. Carlina Corymbosa ; Corymbed Carline Thistle. Stem 

 nany-flowered, subdivided; flowers sessile ; ray of the 



alices yellow. Stem purplish at top, scarcely pubescent ; 

 he leaves even, next the flowers subpinnatilid : ray yellow, 

 >n the outside and at the base only purplish. Native of the 

 outh of France, and Italy. 



4. Carlina Vulgaris ; Common Carline Thistle. Stem many- 

 owered, corymbed ; flowers terminal ; ray of the caliees 



.vhite or yellowish. Root long, fusiform, with a few stiff 

 bres ; stem twelve to fifteen inches high, swellingjust above 

 he root, round, ribbed, purple, slightly downy, subumbelled 

 t top; the chaffs of the receptacle are longer than the florets ; 

 lie flowers expand in dry, and close in moist weather, which 

 roperty they retain for a long time. It indicates very bar- 

 en soil, and is found in dry pastures all over Europe, and 

 s biennial; flowering from June to September. It is service- 

 ble in hysterical and other nervous complaints, and being 

 a diuretic nature, may be useful in the beginning of 

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