A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



67 



not hardy; Osmanthus (Fragrant, Olive and Devil- 

 wood), not hardy; Phillyrea, not hardy; Schrebera, 

 not hardy; and Syringa (Lilac), hardy. 



186. Loganiaceae (from the genus Logania, named in 

 honor of J. Logan, a botanist). LOGANIA FAMILY. Fig. 

 49. Herbs, shrubs, or trees: leaves opposite, simple: 

 flowers usually bisexual, regular; calyx 4-5-lobed or 

 -parted; corolla 45-, or 10-lobed, imbricated or con- 

 volute; stamens epipetalous, of the same number as 

 the lobes of the corolla and usually alternate with them, 

 rarely reduced to 1; ovary superior, usually 2-celled, 

 rarely 1-or 4-celled; ovules usually numerous; styles 1; 

 stigmas 1-2: fruit a capsule, rarely a berry or drupe. 



The family contains 32 genera and about 360 species, 

 of tropical distribution. A few genera only reach the 

 temperate zone, 4 species of which are native in 

 northeastern North America. Fossil species are known. 

 The family is related to the Apocynaceae, Gentianacese, 

 Splanaceoe, Rubiacese, and Serophulariaceae. The oppo- 

 site stipulate leaves, and 2-celled superior ovary, are 

 important distinctive characters. 



The seeds and bark of Strychnos nux-vomica contain 

 a very poisonous alkaloid, strychnine, used as a nerve 

 tonic. Curare, with which the Indians of South 

 America poisoned their arrows, is probably obtained 

 from the bark of S. toxifer. Other species of Strychnos 

 are used in Java to poison arrows. The root of Spigelia 

 (pink-root), an American plant, has been used as a ver- 

 mifuge. It is also poisonous. Strychnos Ignatia yields 

 the poisonous ignatius bean of India. The nut of <S. 

 polatarum is the clearing nut of India, which is used to 

 purify foul water, by rubbing it on the inside of the 

 vessel. The roots of yellow jasmjne (Gelsemium sem- 

 pervirens) of the southeastern United States are used 

 as a nerve tonic. 



Three or 4 genera are in the North American trade, 

 all ornamental: liuddleia, semi-hardy; Gelsemium 

 (Yellow Jessamine), woody vine, semi-hardy; Spigelia 

 (Pink-Root), herbaceous, hardy. 



187. Gentianacese (from the genus Gentiana, named 

 in honor of King Gentius of Illyria, who, according to 

 Pliny, first discovered the medicinal properties of these 

 plants). GENTIAN FAMILY. Fig. 49. Herbs, rarely 

 shrubs or small trees: leaves opposite, rarely alternate 

 or whorlcd, exstipulate: flowers bisexual, regular; calyx 

 4-5-parted, persistent ; corolla 4-8-lobed, gamopetalous, 

 hypogynous, convolute or induplicate, rarely valvate: 

 stamens of the same number as the corolla-lobes and 

 alternate with them, epipetalous; hypogynous disk 

 usually present; ovary superior, 1-celled, with 2 

 parietal placenta, rarely 2-celled; ovules numerous: 

 fruit a capsule. 



The 63 genera and about 750 species are almost cos- 

 mopolitan in distribution. Three hundred species 

 belong to the genus Gentiana, distributed mostly in the 

 mountains of the north temperate zone, in the arctic 

 zone and in the Andes; they are wanting in Africa. 

 Fossil species of Menyanthes are known. The family 

 is closely related to the Ix>ganiacerc. The commonly 

 1-celled ovary, exstipulate leaves and the presence of 

 a bitter principle are important characters. 



The general occurrence of a bitter principle renders 

 the majority of Gentianacese valuable as tonics, and 

 appetizers. Most of the drug, gentian, is obtained 

 from Gentiana lutca of Europe. G. punctata, G. purpurea, 

 and G. Pannonica are also used. Erythrsea Centaurium 

 (centaury) furnishes a medicinal bitter principle. 

 Tachia guianensis is used as bitters in South America, 

 under the name quassia. The bitter principle of Men- 

 yanthes is used as a medicine, and also as a substitute 

 for hops in flavoring beer. The Gentianacese are used 

 medicinally in all parts of the globe. 



Several genera are in cultivation in North America: 

 Erythrsea; Eustoma; Frasera; Gentiana (Gentian); 

 Menyanthes (Buckbean); Sabbatia; and Swertia. 

 Nymphoides (Limnanthemum) (Floating Heart, Water 



Snowflake) is a genus of peculiar aquatic plants. 

 Villarsia is a close relative of Nymphoides. 



18& Apocynaceae (from the genus Apocynum, the 

 ancient name of the dogbane, from the Greek). DOG- 

 BANE FAMILY. Fig. 49. Herbs, shrubs or trees with 

 milky juice, often climbing: leaves opposite or whorled, 

 rarely alternate, entire, exstipulate: flowers bisexual, 

 regular; calyx 4-5-parted; corolla 4-5-lobed, hy- 



ngynous, gamopetalous, usually with appendages or 

 ds in the throat, convolute or valvate; stamens 4-5, 

 epipetalous, alternating with the corolla lobes; anthers 

 usually sagittate and acute; pollen granular; hy- 

 pogynous disk usually present and variously lobed; 

 ovaries usually 2, rarely more or less united; mostly 

 superior, each 1-celled, many-seeded, style 1, usually 

 bearing a fleshy ring below the solitary stigma: fruit 

 fpllicular with comose seeds, or indehiscent, or berry- 

 like, or of nutlets, sometimes winged or prickly. 



One hundred and thirty genera and about 1,000 

 species occur, mostly in tropical countries in both 

 hemispheres. Five or 6 species reach northeastern 

 North America. The family is related to the Asclepia- 

 dacese and Gentianaceae. The milky juice, sagittate 

 anthers, absence of corona, stylar ring, and usually 

 separate ovaries but connate styles and stigmas, are 

 important characteristics. 



Many species of Landolphia yield commercial caout- 

 chouc, as do also other genera, such as Urceola and 

 Willoughbya. Some are very poisonous, e. g., Tan- 

 ghinia of Madagascar; also Cerbera and Acocanthera. 

 Tanghinia, the ordeal tree of Madagascar, "is the most 

 poisonous of plants; a seed no larger than an almond 

 suffices to kill twenty people." Death has followed 

 the use of oleander wood as meat-skewers. An infusion 

 of its leaves is an insecticide; of its bark, a rat-poison. 

 Some are heart-poisons, for example Strophanthus and 

 Aspidosperma (quebracho bark). The bark of Alstonia 

 is a tonic. AUanumda cathartica is purgative. Several 

 species furnish edible fruits tasting like citron. Wrightia 

 tinctoria furnishes an indigo; W. tomentosa, a yellow dye. 



About 20 to 25 genera are in cultivation in N. America 

 as ornamental plants, mostly in the South or in the 

 greenhouse. Among these are: Allamanda; Carissa 

 (Caraunda, Christ^ Thorn) ; Amsonia; Apocynum 

 (Dogbane); Nerium (Oleander); Tabernaemontana 

 (Crape Jasmine, Nero's Crown); Trachelospermum 

 (Star Jasmine); and Vinca (Periwinkle). 



189. Asclepiadaceae (from the genus Asclepias ; dedi- 

 cated to jEsculapius). MILKWEED FAMILY. Fig. 50. 

 Herbs or shrubs, sometimes fleshy, often climbing, gen- 

 erally with milky juice: leaves opposite, rarely otherwise, 

 exstipulate: flowers bisexual, regular, very frequently 

 in umbels; calyx 5-parted, imbricated; corolla 5-parted 

 or -lobed, gamopetalous, hypogynous; a crown present, 

 which is either an outgrowth of the corolla, or of the 

 stamenSj or of both; stamens 5, mostly hypogynous, 

 alternating with the lobes of the corolla, usually 

 monadelphous, sometimes united with the styles; pollen 

 usually agglutinated into pollinia, which are attached 

 to glandular appendages of the stigma; disk absent; 

 ovaries 2, superior, each 1-celled, many-seeded; styles 2; 

 stigmas united: fruit of two follicles; seeds usually 

 comose. 



There are 217 genera and about 1,900 species, prin- 

 cipally of the tropics, but many reach the temperate 

 zone. The family is distinct, and closely related only 

 to the Apocynacea:. The Asclepiadaceao is one of the 

 most extraordinary of families. Most species have a 

 milky juice. Many in South Africa are fleshy, cactus- 

 like plants. Some are epiphytes with variously modi- 

 fied foliage. One genus of epiphytes bears foliar pitchors 

 that catch and hold rain-water. Some species are like a 

 bundle of leafless whip-lashes; others have remarkable 

 tuberous bases to store water. The floral crown is 

 most diverse; and the details of insect-pollination, 

 especially the behavior of the pollinia, is very compli- 



