ANONACEJi]. 263 



Artahofrys also extends to China ; and BoUinia in the opposite 

 direction towards the river Plata. 



In fine, of the twenty-eight genera retained by us, sixteen belong 

 exclusively to the Old World and five to the New ; the former 

 comprising one hundred and twenty species, and the latter ninety. 



The seven common genera contain 230 species, of which 140 

 belong to the Old World; which consequently has altogether 260 

 out of about 400 species oi Anonacece at present known.' 



The uses of the plants of this order are numerous, especially in 

 the warm regions, where they grow abundantly. They are often 

 aromatic, and consequently stimulant, stomachic, sometimes bitter, 

 tonic, febrifuge, and antiputrescent. But the exaggeration of these 

 properties may also sometimes render their employment dangerous ; 

 their delicious perfume may be replaced by acrid, irritating, nay, 

 sometimes even foetid odours.- We shall review the chief useful and 

 noxious species. 



The fruit of the American Uvarias is edible but little esteemed. 

 That of U. trihola, the Assmhiier, Monin, or Papaw of the United 

 States (figs. 225, 226) is not of a very agreeable savour. Nevertheless 

 an alcoholic drink can be obtained from it, and is manufactured at 

 Pittsburg. The pulp and bruised leaves are applied to ulcers to 

 induce cicatrization, and to abscesses, whose maturation it is supposed 

 to hasten. The seeds are acrid, like those of many Anonacece ; re- 

 duced to powder they are used as an emetic, or to destroy vermin in 

 children's heads. 



Several Asiatic Unonas and Uvarias are used as stimulant drugs. 

 Prom their bark and pulp are prepared decoctions, applied locally 

 for bruises and rheimiatic pains, and administered as stomachics to 

 facilitate digestion. Sometimes these barks are acrid and nauseous, 

 and their use may be dangerous. Blume has shown that as di'ugs 



1 Towards the end of 1862, Bentu. & Hook. yet unpublished species, and the Flora of Tro- 



(Gen., 20) estimated their number at about iOO. pical Africa describes about as many more. 



Calculations have been made (Schltl., Linnaa, There are then at least 470 species of Anonacece 



ix. 331) respecting the successive increments to in the regions of the earth at present explored, 

 the Anonacece, of which LiNNJiUS only knew - See Blusie, Fl. Jav., Anonac. — Esdl., 



12 species. In 1817 Pebsoon enumerated 17. EnchiriiL, 423. — Lindl., Veg. Kingd., 421. — 



De CAXDOLLK'sP/orfrowM* (1824) included 122, GtfiB., Drog. Simpl., ed. 4, iii. 675. — Kosen- 



and A. de Candolle enumerated 204, eighteen that., Sgnops. Plant. Diaphor., 589, 1140. 

 years later. We know of a dozen and a half as 



