10ALU | 



POLYGALAI EM. 





The whorls of its floi 



pules, of tome supposed differ in the relative position of the largest pel 



anthers opening longitudinally, and the pn sence "t Bome fli ahj glands betwi 1 o tl 

 and stamens; 1 cannot, however, concede anything In.'- ordinal importance to U 

 circumstances, Trigonia maj I"- regarded either as an approach on the . 

 worts to the Sapindaoeous structure, aa is indicated by the longitudinal d 

 it-, anthers, the greater -\ mine trj of it- flowt rs, and it- 3-valved trim ; or a- .. 

 mi mberof the Soapworts, approaching Milieu oris. The supposed relation betwi en it 

 Spindle trees or Leguminous plant-, which M Cambi sseth ts, appears to be a very 



Jit indication of analogy. — Sa /•'.'. 8 • . M . v. '1. ;-. 112. 



Krameria has much higher claims to separation, 

 completely dislocated that it is difficult to determine 

 the relative position of the parts ; there is no 

 tra. e of the quasipapUionaceous structure generally 

 characteristic of Milkworts, its ovary is imperfectly 

 2-celled, and it is Baid that no albumen exists in its 

 Certainly these are points of moment. 

 Nevertheless, its definite hypogynous Btamens, 

 porous anthers, ansymmetrica] Bowers, definite 

 pendulous ovules, bur-like fruit, which resembles 

 thai of Salomonia, and in Borne degree its habit, are 

 conformable to the Milkwort structure ; and in the 

 absence of all trace of the existence of other genera 

 approaching this kind of organisation, it Beems 

 expedient to regard it as a mere i nception t'> the 

 usual structure of an < (rder whose general condition 

 is in many respects verj anomalous. It, too, may 



be regarded as assisting to bring into i tact the 



Milkworts ami Soapworts, for Krameria cytisoides 

 has ternate leav» b. 



Soulamea is another instance of the elevation of 

 a solitary genua into a Natural Order. This is a 

 Molucca plant, also without albumen in its Beeds, 

 ami having a regular trimerous flower with 2-celled 

 anthers. It may perhaps be considered as an 



instant f the usual irregular flower <>t' Milkworts 



assuming a r< gular t\ pe. 



Lastly, of the genus Moutabea, promoted bj Endlicher,who stationsii - raxworts, 



lint,' it as inunupetalous, it ina_\ be -aid with tolerable confidence that it has not a 



single feature that can justify its separation from Milkworts. Like Xanthophyllum it- 



petals are equal-sized, and as for thi ir adhesion into a tube, that is i lore than what 



occurs in all the Polygalas, whose stamens hold together parts which under ordinary 

 pircumstances are distinct So entirely, indeed, does Moutabi a agree with Polygala, that 

 it i ven has its eight I -celled anthers opening at tin- point, in combination with a "• pi tailed 

 corolla The berries of Moutabea longifolia are said to be eatabli 

 Mimdia spinosa. A tubular calyx exists in Moutabea, but that will hard!) i 

 upon as a ground for forming it into a Natural Order. 



Most of the genera are limit* d to one or two of the five parts of tl 

 bmonia is only found in Asia, Soulamea in the Moluccas, Muraltia at th< 

 Hope, and Monnina and Badiera in South America, Comesperma is found both in 

 Brazil and New Holland, and, what i- verj remarkable, there is in the former country 

 a species of thi Cape genus Mundia, Polygala itself occurs in four of the fivi ; 

 under the torrid /.one and in temperate climates, at Cayenne, and on the mi 

 Switzerland; it is, however,.verj unequally distributed. This genus linost 



every description of station dry plains, deep morasses, " Is, mountains, cull 



and barren soils. Comesperma is only known in Brazil and Austn 

 Kranu-ria inhabit open places in the temperate part- of South Ann ■ 



Milkworts offer, as has been stated, considi rable diversii 

 fore, as might have been anticipated, the purposes to which thej 

 no means uniform. The greater part are hitter, and in their 

 gory may be referred the following cases, Polygala amara is ■ European )>i 

 the parts of which are extremely hitter: it i- much extolled in pulmonary complaints 

 and spitting of blood, P. vulgaris and major have similar u- -. l u< 

 A strong hitter taste pervades all the part- of Polygala rubel .. ■ N rth 



I ii l.\IV. 



ttf. CCLXIV. Krameria ristoidea.— Hooker. 1. an expanded flower 

 relative position of the parts i ■". a stamen; 4. a perpendicular m 





