286 SOLANACEJE. [Hyoscyamus. 



Order LIII. SOLANA'cea. 



Herbs or shrubs (rarely trees). Leaves alternate, or in pairs, or sub- 

 opposite, simple lobed or pinnatisect, exstipulate. Flowers regular, on 1- 

 or more-fld. supra-axillary or axillary ebracteate cymes. Calyx inferior, 

 5-fid, usually persistent, often enlarged in fruit. Corolla hypogynous, 

 rotate campanulate or salver-shaped ; lobes 5, imbricate plicate or indupli- 

 cate-valvate in bud. Stamens 5, rarely unequal, inserted on the corolla- 

 tube, short ; anthers connivent or cohering by their tips, opening inwards 

 by slits or terminal pores. Disk annular. Ovary 2- or incompletely 

 4-celled ; style simple, stigma simple or lobed ; ovules many, amphi- 

 tropous, placentas on the septum. Fruit a many-seeded capsule or berry. 

 Seeds small, usually compressed, reniform, hilum ventral or lateral, testa 

 thick, albumen fleshy ; embryo terete, straight or curved, in- or out-side 

 the albumen, radicle next the hilum. — Distrib. Chiefly tropical ; geneia 

 66 ; species about 1,250. — Affinities. With Convolvulacecu and Scro- 

 phularineoz. — Properties. Narcotic and excitant, or tonic and bitter, 

 pungent or stimulant. 



Corolla subcampanulate. Capsule 2-celled 1. Hyoscyamus. 



Corolla rotate, anthers with pores. Berry 2-celled 2. Solanum. 



Corolla subcampanulate, anthers with slits. Berry 2-celled 3. Atropa. 



I. HYOSCY'AMUS, Toumef. Henbane. 



Annual or biennial, heavy-scented herbs, often viscid. Leaves toothed or 

 sinuate-pinnatifid. Flowers axillary, or in bracteate scorpioid cymes, 

 honeyed. Calyx urceolate, 5-toothed. Corolla irregular, bell- or funnel- 

 shaped ; lobes 5, unequal, obtuse, plaited in bud. Stamens 5, inserted at 

 the base of the corolla-tube, decimate ; anthers with slits. Ovary 2-celled ; 

 style simple, stigma capitate ; ovules many. Capsule hidden in the calyx- 

 tube, constricted in the middle, 2-celled, membranous, circumsciss at the 

 crown, many-seeded. Seeds reniform, punctate. — Distrib. Warm and 

 temp. Europe, Africa, and Asia ; species about 9. — Etym. obscure. 



H. niger, L. ; pubescent, leaves angled toothed or subpinnatifid. 

 Sandy waste places, from Forfar and Dumbarton southd. ; not native in 

 Scotland ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; fl. June-Aug. — Foetid and viscid ; hairs 

 pale, soft, glandular. Stem 1-2 ft., stout, branching, terete. Radical leaves 

 6-8 in., petioled, ovate ; cauline oblong, amplexicaul, with few large lobes 

 or teeth. Flowers 2-seriate, subsessile. Calyx-tube ovoid; limb subcylin- 

 dric, 5-toothed. Corolla 1-1J in. diam., lurid yellow, veined with purple 

 (or not, H. pal'lidus, Kits.) ; lobes broad, subequal. A nthers purple. Calyx- 

 tube globose in fruit, § iu. diam., veined. — Distrib. Europe, N. Africa, N. 

 and W. Asia, India. — Anodyne and antispasmodic. 



2. SOLA'NUM, Tournef. Nightshade. 



Herbs or shrubs (rarely trees). Leaves scattered or in pairs, entire or 

 divided. Flowers solitary fascicled or cymose, white or blue, honeyless, 



