542 



SC H 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



S C I 



2. Schradera Cephalotes. Involucre quite entire; calix 

 toothed; leaves acuminate. Native of Jamaica. 



Sckrebera ; a genus of the class Diandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENE-RIC CHARACTER. Calix: inferior, tubular, 

 somewhat two-lipped, with the lips nearly equal, emarginate, 

 often two lateral toothlets, one on each side, in the divisions 

 of the tips. Corolla: one-petalled, salver-form; tube cylin- 

 dric, three times longer than the calix; border spreading, 

 divided into five, six, or seven, wedge-form truncate segments. 

 Stamina : filamenta two, short, inserted below the middle of 

 the tube; antherse oblong, hid within the tube of the corolla. 

 Pistil : germen superior, oval ; style a little longer than the 

 tube; stigma bifid. Pericarp: capsule pear-shaped, sca- 

 brous, two-celled, two-valved. Seeds : four in each cell, 

 irregularly oval, compressed, with a long membranaceous 

 wing. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: two-lipped. Co- 

 rolla: from five to seven cleft. Capsule: pear-shaped, two- 

 celled, two-valved. Seeds : from eight to ten, membrana- 

 ceous, winged. -The only species yet found is, 



1. Schrebera Swietenioides. This is a large timber-tree, 

 with an erect trunk, scabrous bark, and numerous branches 

 spreading in every direction, so as to form a large, beau- 

 tiful, shady head. Leaves nearly opposite, on round smooth 

 petioles, pinnate, with an odd leaflet, about afoot long; 

 flowers white, and variegated, very fragrant during the 

 night ; capsule the size of a pullet's egg. The wood is of 

 a gray colour, very close-grained, heavy, and durable : it 

 is reckoned less subject to crack or warp than any other; 

 on which account it is employed by weavers in many parts 

 of their looms, particularly for the beam : it serves also for 

 a great variety of other uses, and would probably answer 

 well for scales to mathematical instruments, being less sub- 

 ject to warp than Box. Native of Hindoostan, in the valleys 

 of the Rajahmundry circar, flowering in the beginning of the 

 hot season. 



Schwalbaa ; a genus of the class Didynamia, order Angio- 

 spermia. GENERIC CHARACTER. ,Calix: perianth one- 

 leafed, tubular, ventricose, striated; mouth four-cleft, ob- 

 lique ; upper segment very short, lateral ones longer, lowest 

 still longer, wider, emarginate. Corolla: one-petalled, rin- 

 gent; tube length of the calix; border erect; upper lip erect, 

 concave, quite entire; lower lip of the same length, blunt, 

 cloven into. three equal segments. Stamina: filamenta four, 

 filiform, length of the corolla, of which two are a little 

 shorter; antheroe incumbent. Pistil: germen roundish; style 

 in the same situation, and of the same form and length, 

 with the stamina; stigma thiekish, recurved. Pericarp: 

 capsule ovate, compressed, two-celled, two-valved ; par- 

 titions folded. Seeds: very many, chaffy, lanceolate, small. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: four-cleft; the upper 



lobe very small, the lowest large and emarginate. The 



only species is, 



1. Schwalbea Americana. Root biennial ; stem quite sim- 

 ple, downy; leaves lanceolate, pubescent; flowers alternate, 

 sessile; corolla dark red, inclining. Native of America. 



Schwenkfeldia ; a genus of the class Pentandria, order 

 Monogynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : involucre 

 four-leaved; perianth one-leafed, five-parted, superior, per- 

 manent; segments lanceolate, acute. Corolla: one-petalled, 

 funnel-form; tube long, slender; throat hirsute; border five- 

 parted; segments lanceolate, acute. Stamina: filamenta 

 five, inserted into the tube of the corolla; antherse parallel- 

 epiped, incum'bent. Pistil: germen inferior, ovate; style 

 filiform ; stigmas five, oblong. Pericarp : berry globular, 

 crowned with the calix, five-celled. Seeds: numerous, very 

 small, fastened to semilunar receptacles. ESSENTIAL CHA- 



RACTER. Involucre : four-leaved. Corolla : funnel-form, 

 hairy within. Stigma: five. -Berry: five-celled, many-seeded. 

 Willdenow says, corolla salver-form ; stigma five-parted. 

 The species are, 



1. Schwenkfeldia Hirte. Leaves ovate-lanceoiate, acu- 

 minate; flowers peduncled. This is a climbing shrub, with 

 the stem and branches striated and hirsute. Native of moun- 

 tain-woods in Jamaica, flowering in April. 



2. Schwenkfeldia Cinerea. Leaves oblong, acute, tomen- 

 tose, hoary beneath; flowers subsessile. This is also a climb- 

 ing shrub, with the stem and branches round and hispid. 

 Native of Cayenne and Guiana, found in hedges. 



3. Schwenkfeldia Aspera. Leaves elliptic, acuminate, 

 rough, paler beneath ; flowers sessile. Native of Guiana, on 

 the banks of rivers. 



Schwenhia; a genus of the class Diandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one- 

 leafed, tubular, striated, straight, five-toothed, permanent. 

 Corolla : one-petalled ; tube cylindrical, length of the calix ; 

 border almost regular, length of the calix, inflated at the 

 throat, five-plaited ; plaits closing the orifice in form of a 

 star, with a glandular body growing upon the exterior 

 angles of the plaits, the two upper ones longer than the 

 glands. Stamina: filamenta five; three shorter, bristle-shap- 

 ed, without antheree; two upper longer, fertile; antherse two, 

 ovate, acute, two-celled. Pistil: germen globular; style sim- 

 ple, length of the stamina; stigma obtuse. Pericarp: capsule 

 compressed, like a lens, smooth, longer than the enlarged 

 calrx, two-celled, two-valved. Seeds: numerous, very small, 

 somewhat angular. Receptacle : subglobular. ESSENTIAL 

 CHARACTER. Corolla: almost equal, with the throat plaited 

 and glandular. Stamina: three, barren. Capsule: two-celled, 

 many-seeded. One species only has been found, 



1. Schwenkia Americana; Guiana Schwenhia. A slender 

 biennial shrub. Leaves alternate; flowers axillary, appearing 

 in August and September. Native of Berbice. 



Scilla; a genus of the class Hexandria, order Monogynia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: none. Corolla: petals 

 six, ovate, spreading very much, deciduous. Stamina : fila- 

 menta six, filiform, shorter by half than the corolla ; antherse 

 oblong, incumbent. Pistil: germen roundish; style simple, 

 length of the stamina, deciduous; stigma simple. Pericarp: 

 capsule subovate, smooth, three-grooved, three-celled, three- 

 valved. Seeds: many, roundish. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. 

 Corolla: six-petalled, spreading, deciduous. Filamenta: fili- 

 form. Stigma: simple. Capsule: superior, three-celled. 

 Seeds: roundish. The species are, 



1. Scilla Maritima; Officinal Squill. Naked-flowered, 

 with refracted bractes. Root very large, sometimes pear- 

 shaped, composed of many coats as in the Onion, and having 

 several fibres coming out from the bottom, and striking deep 

 in the ground : from the middle of the root arise several 

 shining leaves about a foot long, and two inches broad at 

 their base, lessening all the way to the top, where they end 

 in points; they continue green all the winter, and decay in 

 the spring: then the flower-stalk comes out, rising two feet 

 high, naked about half way, and terminated by a pyramidal 

 thyrse of white flowers. There are two varieties, one with 

 a red, the other with a white root; but the white is generally 

 preferred for medicinal use : though Dr. Woodville asserts 

 that the red-rooted variety has been supposed to be more 

 efficacious, yet he justly remarks that this red colour is con- 

 fined to the outer coat of the roots. It is very nauseous, 

 intensely bitter and acrimonious, without any perceptible 

 smell. Alkalies considerably abate the bitterness and acri- 

 mony; vegetable acids make little alteration in either; but 



