48 



CINCHONACEjE. 



it ; as however this genus is more properly referred 

 to a distinct order, Stellate, the name Rubiaccce is no 

 longer applicable. The order is allied to Composite, 

 but differs in the mode of its inflorescence, in its 

 stamens not being united, and in its ovary having 

 two or more loculaments. To Apocynca: it also bears 

 a considerable relationship, but is easily distinguished 

 by the aestivation of its corolla, its inferior ovary and 

 the presence of stipules. Caprifoliaceae is also quoted 

 by authors as an allied order. 



The order Cinchonacea; is thus characterised: 

 calyx adherent to the ovary, simple, either undivided 

 or with a definite number of divisions ; corolla of one 

 piece, superior, tubular, with a definite number of 

 divisions equal to those of the calyx, and with a 

 twisted or valvate aestivation ; stamens arising from 

 the corolla, equal in number to the lobes of the 

 corolla, and alternate with them ; anthers oval, two 

 celled ; pollen elliptical ; ovary inferior, usually two 

 celled, crowned by a disk ; style single, sometimes 

 partly divided; stigma simple, sometimes divided 

 into a definite number of parts ; fruit interior, bac- 

 cate, capsular or drupaceous, two or many celled ; 

 seeds definite or indefinite, in the former case erect 

 and ascending, in the latter attached to a central 

 axis ; albumen copious, horny or fleshy ; embryo 

 straight or slightly curved; radicle turned towards 

 the hilum ; cotyledons foliaceous. 



The plants included in this order are trees, shrubs 

 or herbs, with simple, entire, opposite or verticillate 

 leaves, and panicled or corymbose flowers. They 

 grow in the hotter parts of the world, and are said to 

 constitute a twenty-ninth part of the whole flowering 

 plants of the tropics. They are nearly allied to each 

 other in their properties. The barks of most of 

 them contain an astringent bitter principle, which 

 frequently possesses febrifuge virtues, and the roots 

 of many of them are emetic and purgative. 



This order has been divided into twelve distinct 

 sections : 1. Cinchonece, or true cinchona tribe, in 

 which the capsule is two-celled, with a septicidal 

 dehiscence, the cells containing many winged seeds, 

 and the stamens being five or more. This section 

 includes the genera Cinchona, Exostemma, Pinckneya, 

 Naucleya, Uncaria, &c. 2. Gardenietz, in which 

 the fruit is fleshy, iridehiscent, bilocular, and the seeds 

 are not winged. In this section are included the 

 genera Gardenia, Sarcocephalus, Genipa, &c. 3. He- 

 dyotidecE, in which the capsule is two-celled, with a 

 loculicidal dohiscence, the cells being many seeded, 

 and the seeds not winged. Examples of this section 

 are seen in the genera Hedyotis, Condaminea, Macro- 

 cremum, Portlandia, Oldenlandia, &c. 4. Iserticce, in 

 which the fruit is drupaceous, and is provided with 

 from two to six nuts as in Iseiiia, Metabolos, &c. 5. 

 HamcliacccE, of which the fruit is a many celled, many 

 seeded berry, as is seen in the genera Hamelia, and 

 Labicea. 6. Cordierece, in which the fruit is a many 

 celled berry, each cell containing a single seed, as in 

 Cordiera. 7. Guettardaccce, in which the fruit is a 

 drupe having from two to ten nuts inclosing smooth 

 seeds. Examples are seen in the genera Guettarda, 

 Morinda, Vauguiera and AntiiThcea, 8. Pcederuas, 

 having a bilocular, indehiscent fruit and a fleshy albu- 

 men, as in Ptfderia. 9. Coffeacecs, or coffee tribe, in 

 which the fruit is a bilocular berry, and the albumen 

 is horny. This section is illustrated by the genera 

 Coffea, Ceplidclis, Siderodendron, Chiococca, Ixora, and 

 Psychotria. 10. Spennacocca, in which the fruit is 



somewhat dry, inclosing two or four nuts, and trip 

 stigma is bilamellar, as in Spermacocca, Borrcria, ami 

 Richardsonia. 11. Anthospermeee, in which the fruit 

 is somewhat dry, and the stigma elongated and hairj , 

 as in Antliospermum. 12. Operculariece, in which the 

 fruit has one loculament and one seed, with a bival- 

 vular dehiscence, as occurs in the genus Opercitlarin. 

 To these sections many botanists add another, Stel- 

 late, including the genera Rubin, Galium, &c., which 

 are met with in northern latitudes. This section is, 

 in our opinion, with some propriety reckoned a 

 distinct order, and, as such, will be noticed by us in 

 the course of this work. 



In treating of the nine important plants which are 

 met with in this highly interesting order we shall 

 commence with the genus Cinchona, Twhcnce the name 

 of the order is derived. This is a very extensive 

 genus, the species of which are, however, as yet im- 

 perfectly known, nothwithstanding the labours of 

 Mutis, Zea, Tafalla, Ruiz, and Pavon, Humboldt, and 

 Bonpland, and the valuable monographs of Vahl and 

 Lambert. It holds an important place in Medical 

 Botany in consequence of furnishing Peruvian bark. 

 There are three species mentioned in the British 

 Pharmacopoeias, Cinchona lancifolia which furnishes 

 the pale bark of the shops, or the brown bark of com- 

 merce, Cinchona cordifolia which supplies the yellow 

 bark, and Cinchona oblongifolia which is the source of 

 the red bark. Besides these there are several other 

 species of cinchona which produce medicinal barks, 

 such as Cinchona ovalifolia, Magnifolia cxcelsa, Ferru- 

 ginea, Velhsii and Remigerana. 



The cinchonas inhabit chiefly those districts of 

 South America which are situated on the west of the 

 Andes : some are found in Brazil, and one, Cinchona 

 excelsa, grows in the East Indies. They are found at 

 a considerable elevation, generally from six to eight 

 thousand feet above the level of the sea, and require 

 a mean temperature between 59 and 62 of Fahren- 

 heit. They are handsome evergreens which attain a 

 great height, and, when allowed to grow, acquire a 

 considerable thickness of trunk. The stripping of the 

 bark, an operation which is now performed on a 

 very large scale, prevents the trunks of the trees from 

 acquiring the same diameter as formerly. Some 

 doubts have also been entertained as to the probabi- 

 lity of the supply of cinchona being kept up, in con- 

 sequence of no pains being bestowed on the cultiva- 

 tion of the trees, which frequently die after being 

 deprived of their bark. 



The bark is generally taken in the dry season dur- 

 ing the months of September and December, and it 

 is known to be in a proper state, when, on raising a 

 portion of it, the air gives it a reddish colour. After 

 removal from the tree, it is dried and separated into 

 different sorts so as to be fit for exportation. The 

 younger the branch is the more the bark is quilled 

 or rolled ; sometimes, however, it is quilled by the 

 application of heat. 



The cinchonas have been divided into those spe- 

 cies having hairy, and those having smooth, corollas, 

 tlie former being decidedly febrifuge, the latter not. 

 Among the former are the species, lancifolia, cordifolia, 

 oblongifolia, ovalifolia, Braziliensis, excelsa, &c. while 

 the latter have been lately included under a distinct 

 genus to which the name Exostemma has been given. 



Cinchona lancifolia, pale bark, so called from the 

 colour of its powder, is tfound on the declivities of 

 hills in Peru, between 4 and 5" of north latitude, 



