168 MENISPERMACE.E. 



sonous principle is volatile, and in some members of the 

 family but little developed. 



Officinal Plants. 



Helleborus niger (officinalis.) 

 Delphinium staphisagria. 

 Aconitum paniculatum. 



2. MENISPERMACE.E. 



Sepals and petals not to be distinguished from each 

 other, the pieces arranged in one or more rows, hypo- 

 gynous, and deciduous. Stamens monadelphous rarely 

 free, anthers usually adnate and extrorse. " Germen of 

 several carpels (or by abortion of a single ovary) sub- 

 coalescent by the basis of the styles which are terminal, 

 and the stigmata simple, sometimes the carpels are con- 

 nate, the germen muitilocular, or by abortion celled." 

 (Burnett) . Fruit drupaceous one-seeded, and oblique or 

 lunulate in form, the embryo of the seed turned in di- 

 rection of the circumference, exalbuminous or nearly so, 

 and the cotyledons sometimes distant from each other. 

 Twining plants with cordate or peltate exstipulate alter- 

 nate leaves, and monoecious or dioecious flowers. 



Geographical Relations. Intertropical Asia and Ame- 

 rica. 



Properties. Bitterness only present in some, but poi- 

 sonous properties in others. Menispermum cocculus is 

 a narcotico -acrid poison of Beck. 



Officinal Plant. 

 Menispermum palmatum (Cocculus palmatus.) 



