222 ORDER XII. — fumariacf:^. 



1. D. FORMo'sA, (D. C.) Lfaves 3 — 8, or one visaing from the crn-R-r 

 of the rhizouia. Spur short, obtuse, somewhat incur*, ei ; w ng- if . ht- 

 inner petals projecting beyond the summit. Stigma 2-hor e.i at rli*-- 

 apex. — Reddish-purple". If. Mountains of Vir. and N. C. »— 12 

 inches. (T. & G.) 



Genus II.— ADLU'MIA. Eaf. 16—5. {Climbing Colic-weed.) 

 (In honor of Major Adlum.) 



Petals united into a spongy, persistent, monopetalous corolla, 

 bigibbous at the base, 4-lobed at the apex. Capsule pod- 

 shaped, linear-oblong, many-seeded. Flowers in racemose 

 cymes. Plant climbing, herbaceous. 



1. A. ciRRHo'sA, (Raf.) Stem branching, climbing by cirrhose tendrils. 

 Leaves biternately divided. Segments obovate. Flowers numerous. 

 Stamens monadelphous. — Pale violet or white. $ . June. Canada to 

 N. C. 



Gexus III.— CORYD'ALIS. D. C. 16—5. 

 (From the Greek corudalis, the name of the plant) 



Only one of the petals spurred. Capsule 2-valved. many or 

 few seeded, compressed. Style persistent. Racemes terminal 

 or opposite the leaves, simple. 



1, C. au'rea, (Wild.) Stem branching. Leaves bi pinnate, or vari- 

 ously dissected ; lobes oblong, linear, glaucous, alternate. Spur straight, 

 obtuse. Flowers in terminal, supra-axilbiry racemes, or opposite the 

 leaves. Pedicels bracteolate, with bracts sometimes extt nding beyond 

 the flower. — Yellow. ^. April to August. Middle Geo. 



Genus IV.— FUMA'RIA. L. 16—5. {Fumitory.) 

 (From the Latin /wwiws, smoke.) 



One petal only gibbous or spurred. Fruit a 1-seeded nut, 

 indehiscent. 



1. F. officina'lis, (L.) Root annual, fusiform. Stem branching, gla- 

 brous. Leaves variously dissected, glabrous, and slightly glaucous. Seg- 

 ments manj'-cleft. Flowers in small, dense racemes. Sepals toothed. 

 Petals 4,', the lower one free; the three i;pper united at the base, 

 bearing a spur. Stigma bilamellate. — Purple. $ . April. Natural- 

 ized. 



The order FumariaeecB possesses some striking peculiarities. The general fornc 

 of the flower is singular, resembling more the works of art than of nature. The cliar- 

 acteristic of having the different celled anthers some unilocular and others bilocnlar, 

 is a striking variation. Torrey &, Gray ren)ark. that "tlie two lateral stamens of e^ich 

 pnrcel, having unilocular anthers, may be considered as haff stamens, formed b}- tiie 

 division of the two stamens which correspond to the inner petals; the true nunibtr 

 in the order, according to this view, being 4 — one to each petal."' The situation of 

 the anthers and stigma in the indurated summit of the pet.;Iti. in which !hey rem.iin 

 firmly inclosed till after fertilization, would seem to preclude the possibility of the 

 pollen's coming in contact with the stigma. To adapt herself to these eircum-tances, 

 nature hvis placed two horn-like appendages to the stigma, wh:ch extend under the 

 anther cells, and by the mere contraction of the valvos, the f>ollen is conveyed to the 

 stigraatic surface without any change in position of the organs. The ditl'erent genera 

 of this order possess, nearly the same properties, and the Fumaria has been used in 

 medicine, particularly for its action on the liver and in cutaneous eruptions. 



