NATURAL ARRANGEMENT. 



533 



2755 Tfippophae L. 

 2754 Shepherds Nut 



*2 



I 341 JSlaeagnus L. 

 I 2872 Gyrocarpus Jac. 



401. ORDER CLXV. ASA'RIN^E. 

 Genera 2, Species 36 ; Hot-house Species 16 ; Green-house Species 5 ; Hardy Ligneous Species 3; 



Hardy Herbaceous Species 12. f 3| feet ; 7 feet ; =*= feet. 



Here we are on the limits of Monocotyldones and Dicotyledones. The species are herbaceous or half- 

 shrubby plants, with simple, often reniform, leaves ; and mottled grotesque flowers, usually brownish purple. 

 Their roots are all bitter, and possessed of tonic and stimulating properties ; but the degree in which they 

 exist in different species is not at present ascertained. The Aristolochias have been in former days praised as 

 emmenagogues, and many are still used in South America as a remedy for the bite of serpents. A sarum 

 europae\im is a purgative and emetic when fresh, but its powers are much diminished by drying ; its dried 

 leaves are occasionally used by the country people in some parts of England as a sternutatory. Division and 

 cuttings. 



1421 ^sarum L, *0 5 | 2582 ^ristolochia L. *3 7 



402. ORDER CLXVI. CYTI'NE-ffi. 



Genus 1, Species 2 ; Hot-house Species 2 ; Green-house Species ; Hardy Ligneous Species ; 



Hardy Herbaceous Species 0. JO feet ; feet j ^ feet. 



The famous pitcher-plants of China and the East Indies belong to Nepenthes, and bear leaves, the 

 extremities of which are hollowed out into cup-like appendages that are generally filled with water, which 

 seems as if confined within them by a little lid by which the pitchers are surmounted. Seeds. 



403. 



2830 A'ep^nthes L. 

 ORDER CLXVII. EUPHORBIATEJS. 



, 



: Genera 47, Species 444 ; Hot-house Species 247 ; Green-house Species 66 ; Hardy Ligneous Species 12 : 

 Hardy Herbaceous Species 119. J 25$ feet ; 22 feet ; i feet 



Weeds and lofty trees, of such varied appearance and property, that it is scarcely possible to frame a brief 

 character by which they can be expressed. Their vegetation in cold countries is mostly herbaceous, in hot 

 countries frutescent or arborescent ; their juice is milky, and their flowers mostly inconspicuous. It is for 

 their medicinal properties that they are chiefly known, and these are as various as their aspect ; mostly, how- 

 ever, dangerous, and always to be suspected. In a few of them the smell and taste are aromatic ; but in most 

 there is either no smell or it is nauseous, and the taste constantly acrid and pungent. Some possess also an 

 acrid limpid fluid, which is given out by the leaves when touched. Many of them act strongly upon the 

 kidneys, as several species of Phyllanthus, the leaves of A/ercuria/?'s annua, and the root of .fticinus communis. 

 Many are said to be powerful medicines in cases of dropsy. The bark of several Crotons, the wood of Cruton 

 Ttglium and jf?uxus, the leaves of the same, and also of Cicc di'sticha, several Euphorbias, and others, are 

 recorded as sudorifics, and useful against syphilis ; as emetics, we find the roots of the Euphorbias, the juice 

 of Commia, A nda, Mercurialis pertnnis, &c A great number are purgative, especially the leaves of Z?itxus 

 and Mercuntilis, the juice of Euphorbia, Commia, Hura, the seeds of .fficinus, Croton Tiglium, A'nda, and 

 Jatropha. The effects of some others are so dangerous, particularly /fippumane, that it is not advisable to 

 administer them even in very small doses ; even in many Euphorbias it is difficult to draw a line between the 

 quantity in which they are poisonous, and that in which they are harmless or useful. The nature of their 

 poison is mostly acrid, occasionally, however, mixed with something narcotic, as is apparent from the effect of 

 those which are used for poisoning or rather stupefying fish. The purgative oil in which the seeds of many 

 are found to abound, has been determined to reside wholly in the albumen ; hence the embryo of some, as 

 Omphalea diandra, is eaten as nuts Boiling or roasting has also the effect of dissipating their noxious effects ; 

 thus Janipha Munihot, than which there scarcely exists a more dangerous poison, affords a food when sub- 

 mitted to fire, called cassava, the flour of which is often used in London as a luxury for making puudings, 

 than which few are reputed to be more wholesome. But the most curious of all the products of Euphorbiaceae 

 is the Caoutchouc, that singular substance which, although the produce of dangerous acrid trees, possesses 

 nothing whatever which has been found capable of acting upon the human system in whatever way applied, 

 which is unalterable either in air, in water, or in spirits, although it softens at a high temperature. It is 

 chiefly produced by Siphonia elastica, but also exists in the juice of very many others, as Excaecaria agallocha, 

 Hippomane Mancinella, Hura crepitans, Sapium aucuparium, Plukenet/a volubilis, the Jatrophas, Mubea, 

 Omphaleas, and many others. Tournesole, another curious chemical preparation, is the juice of Croton 

 tinctbrium, but is also found in several others. Many other properties belong to this order, which it would be 

 too long to detail in this place. The curious reader will find ample information in the medical division of 

 M. Adrian de Jussieu's monograph of the order, from which most of the foregoing remarks are taken. Cuttings, 

 division, and seeds. 



406. Section 3. CROTONE*:. 

 lig. 3. herb. 1. f 17 ft. j j 3 ft. 

 2715 Croton L. 

 3417 Crozdphora Neck. 1 



2717 Jatropha L. 



2718 Janipha Kth. 

 2711 Aleurltes Forst. 

 2720 Siphdnia Rich. 



2719 jRicinusL. 



2827 Adelia L. 



2828 Lourelra Cav. 



2734 B^rya W. 30 



2803 Hysnanche H. K. 



2804 Euclea L. 



2809 Gelbnium Rox. 



2810 Rottlera Rox. 

 2657 Acidoton Swz.' 



407. Section 4. ACALY'PHE^. 



lig. 0. kerb. 10. 8| ft. 

 2794 Mercuri/js L. 03 



2728 Plukenet/a L. 



2726 ^calypha L. 05 



2595 Trag/a L. 02 



2596 Cnemidostachys Mart. 



408. Sections. HIPPOMA^NE^E. 

 lig. \. herb. 0. J 3 ft 



2712 Omphalea L. 



2713 .J/ippomane L. 



2714 Sapium L. 



2706 StilhngzVz L. 1 



2707 Omalanthes Grah. 

 2723 Hitra L. 



2826 Excoecaria L. 



409. Section 6. EUPHORBIE^. 

 I. 4. h. 104. J 251 ft- ; 22i ft. 



1461 Pedilanthus Neck. 



1460 uph6rbwi L. *4 104 



2727 Dalechampza L. 



410. ORDER CLXVIII. STACKHOU'SEJE. 

 Genus 1, Species 1 ; Hot-house Species ; Green-house Species 1 ; Hardy Ligneous Species ; 



Hardy Herbaceous Species 0. 1 feet ; feet ; * feet 



A small tribe of plants, natives of New Holland and Van Dieman's Land. Small shrubs with trifling 

 flowers. Cuttings. 



8[)8 Stackhous/rt R. Br. 

 M m 3 



