CLASSIFICATION OF ANGIOSPERMS. 349 



the Meadow beauty (Rhexia). Quite a ininil)cr of the plants are 

 cultivated and a large number yield edible fruits. The fruits, 

 barks and leaves frequently contain coloring principles. A yel- 

 low coloring principle is found in the leaves of a number of species 

 of Memecylon of the East Indies and Africa, which resembles 

 that of saffron and curcuma. Red coloring principles are found 

 in the berries of a number of species of Blakea of South America. 

 A black coloring principle is obtained from the fruit of several 

 species of Tamonea of tropical America, Mclastoma malabathri- 

 cum of the East Indies and Tococa guiancnsis of Northern South 

 America and Tiboiicliiiia Maximiliana of Brazil. Tannin is found 

 in considerable quantity in the barks of Tibouchina, Dissotis and 

 Rhynchanthera. 



The leaves of Tamonea thecesans are used in Peru as a sub- 

 stitute for tea. A mucilage is found in the bark of Medinilla 

 crispata of the Molucca Islands. The flowers of the latter plant 

 as well as of M. macrocarpa are used as a remedy for the bite of 

 poisonous serpents. 



j. ONAGRACE^ OR EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY. 

 These are mostly annual or perennial herbs with usually entire 

 or toothed, simple leaves. The flowers are perfect, regular or 

 irregular, epigynous, variously colored, solitary in the axils of the 

 leaves or in somewhat leafy spikes. The fruit is a dehiscent 

 capsule, berry, drupe, or nut. This family is represented in 

 temperate regions by such plants as the Willow herb (Epilobium), 

 Evening primrose (CEnothera), on which de Vries has carried 

 on his famous mutation experiments, and Enchanter's nightshade 

 (Circ^ea). The cultivated Fuchsia also belongs to this family. 

 The subterranean parts of Prinnila officinalis^ contain two crystal- 

 line glucosides, primeverin and primulaverin, which by the action 

 of the ferment, primeverase, produce an anise-like odor. The 

 odors of the other species of Primula are probably due to distinct 

 glucosides: (a) one producing an anise-like odor as in P. offici- 

 nalis, P. capitata and P. dcnticulata; (b) one producing the odor 

 of methyl salicylate, as in P. longiflora, P. elatior and P. vulgaris; 

 (c) one producing the odor of coriander, as in P. auricula, P. 

 panonica and P. palinuri. The flowers of a number of genera 

 are light in color and somewhat luminous in the dark. 



