OS 



A SYNOPSIS OF THE PLANT KINGDOM 



raUxl. The union of the two carpfls Uy tlic slignia only 

 is unique. 



Pleurisy riH>t {.Isdepias tubcrosa) wsis formerly 

 ustvl extensively for lung and catarrhal dist)r(lers. 

 Conilunuigo. fn>ni the hark of Marsdciiid Coniliirdniii), is 

 a stomach tonic. The milky juice of many is medici- 

 nal: .some are emetics '"cctoxicum, tiomphocarpus, 

 Secanione); others are purgative (Solenostcmma, 



50. A8CLEIM-\DACE«: 1. A.sclepia.s, a, flower: /», flower, vertical 

 section; r, stameni*: d, pi.stil and poUinia; e, poilinia and gland; /, 

 floral diagram. Convolvulace.*:: 2. Convolvulu.s, floral dia- 

 gram. Pf>LEMONlACE.E: 3. Phlox, flower. 4. Polemonium, floral 

 diagram. HTDROPHYLi.ArE*: .5. Hydrophyllum, flower. 6. Phace- 

 lia, a, and b, ovary of two specie.'^. 



Cynanchum); others are sudoritics (Hemidesmus). 

 The acrid juice of Gonolobus is used to poison arrows; 

 that of Periploca to poison wolves, hence the name 

 wolfbane and dogbane. The milk of Gymnema 

 lacliferum, the cow-plant of Ceylon, is edible; also 

 that of the Cape, Oxynlelma esculentum. Some Indian 

 species yield good bast fibers. Marsdenia tincloria 

 yields a dye. Several species yield caoutchouc. The 

 oschur or modar (('nlutropis /n-orera) is probably the 

 Sodom apple of the Hible. The herbage of several 

 species is cooked and eaten. The acid stem of Sarcos- 

 temma is eaten as a salad. In E;ist, Africa, Cynanchum 

 sarcontemmoides is used to [xjison fish. Many Ascle- 

 piadaoeae are ornamental plants. 



.•\bout 20 genera are in cultivation in N. America, 

 mostly in the tropical horticulture of Florida and 

 California. More generally cultivated and bett(T 

 known are: A.sdepias (Milkweed); Cynanchum (Mos- 

 quito Plant, Cruel Plantj; Hoya (Wax-plant j; and 

 Periploca (Silk Vine). 



f )rder nO. Tubifuirm 



190. Convolvulaceae (from the genus Convolvuhis, 

 signifying to entwine). Mokninc-Gi/jky Family Fig. 

 50. Jferbs, shrubs or small trees, twining or erect, turf- 

 forming shrubs, thorny shrubs, "switch plants," or 

 yellow, leaflf«s, twining para.sitf!s, often with milky 

 juice: leaves alternate: flowers bisexual, regular; i)e- 

 duncles very often bi-bracteate; calyx ."j-parted, per- 

 sistent; corolla more or less .T-lobed, usually plaited, 



gamopctalous, hy|)ogynous, convolute; stamens 5, 

 slightly epipclalous, alternating with the corolla-lobes; 

 hypogynous disk presi-nt, usually lobed; ovary superior, 

 2-celled, rarely more or fewer celled; each cell 1-2- 

 ovuled, niicropyle directed downward and outward; 

 styles 1-2; stigmas 1-2: fruit a cajisule or a berry, very 

 rarely breaking into 4 l-.secded nutlets. 



Coiivolvulaci'ie has 40 genera with about 1,000 

 species, of which ;iOO species belong to the genus 

 Ipomiea an<l ItiO s])ecies to the genus Convolvulus. 

 They ai"e tlistributcd in all regions except the arctics; 

 but are especially numerous in tropical Asia and tropical 

 America. The family is related to the Solanacea" and 

 Boraginacea^, but also to the Polemoniacca^ and Hydro- 

 phyllacex. The absence of a circinate inflorescence, 

 the plaited corolla, the direction in which the micropyle 

 is turned and the few-.secded fruit are important 

 distinguishing characteristics. The genus Cuscuta is 

 parasitic and chlorophylless, receiving its nutriment 

 by means of haustoria from the plant upon which it 

 twines. 



Because of the substances contained in the milky 

 juice, many species are medicinal. The following are 

 Ijurges: jalap (Exogonium Purgn), of Mexico; turbith 

 (Ojwrcidinti Tiirpethum), of the East Indies; and scam- 

 mony {Conviih'utus tScammonia), of the orient. The 

 fleshy roots of I po?na'aBalat(is (sweet potato) are edible; 

 also those of Convolvulus Scpiuin. 1 jiomaa Pes-caprse 

 is used in India to bind the sands along the coast. 

 Convolvulus scopnrius of the Canaries furnishes the 

 fragrant oil of rhodium, used to adulterate oil of rose, 

 and sold also to rat-catchers as a lure for rats. Cuscuta 

 Epilinum, and several other species, are bad pests in 

 cultivated fields. 



Several genera are in cultivation in N. America: 

 Argyreia, tender twiners; Breweria, trailing, grown in 

 Florida; Convolvulus (Bindweed, CaUfornia Rose, 

 Rutland Beauty), mostly twining.; Ipoma'a (Morning- 

 glory, Moonflower, Cypress Vine, Indian Pink, Man-of- 

 the-Earth, Blue Dawn Flower, Sweet Potato, Jalap), 

 mostly twining; Jacquemontia, garden twiners; Lett- 

 somia, twiners, grown in Florida. 



191. Polemoniaceae (from the genus Polemonium, a,n 

 ancient name of doubtful application). Polemonium 

 Family. Fig. 50. Herbs, rarely woody: leaves alter- 

 nate, or the lower sometimes opposite, simple or pinnate : 

 flowers bisexual, regular, or nearly so; calyx 5-cleft; 

 corolla 5-lobed, gamopctalous, hypogynous, convolute; 

 stamens 5, epipetalous, alternate with the coroUa- 

 lobes; hypogynous disk present; ovary superior, 3-, 

 rarely 2- or .5-, celled; ovules in each cell many, rarely 

 1; style 1, 3-fid, rarely 5-fid; stigmas 3, rarely 5: fruit 

 a capsule. 



About 8 genera and 200 species are known; these 

 are almost entirely American and principally North 

 American. Nearly 100 species belong to the genus 

 Cilia. The family is closely related to the Convolvula- 

 ceie, and difficult to separate from that family. The 

 3 many-ovuled cells of the ovary are important. The 

 disk of Coba-a is large and .5-lobed. The terminal 

 leaflet of this plant is a branched tendril. 



Many Polemoniacea; are grown as ornamental 

 plants. Polemonium cseruleum (Jacob's ladder, or Greek 

 valerian) is used in some countries as a remedy for 

 various ailments. 



About 6 to 8 genera are cultivated in this country as 

 ornamental plants: Cantua, a .shrub in the greenhouse; 

 Coba^a, a climbing herb, mostly in the greenhouse; 

 (Jilia, many .species, for bedding; La-selia in the cool- 

 house; Phlox (Phlox, Ground or Moss Pink), for bed- 

 ding; Polemonium, for bedding. 



192. Hydrophyllaceae (from the genus Hydrophyl- 

 lum, nicanirn;, imtcT-lcnJ). Watkh-leaf Family. Fig. 50. 

 Annual ori ,)erennial herbs: leaves mostly alternate, 

 often lobed: flowers bisexual, regular, mostly in circinate 

 raceme-like clusters; calyx 5-cleft; corolla 5-lobed, often 



