172 COiNVOLVULAClLE. [ Convolvulus. 



Waste and sandy grounds. Plentiful in the Phoenix Park ; Kilbar- 

 rick ; sand hills opposite Malahide, c. At the latter place I 

 have observed a variety with white flowers. Fl. June, July. $ . 

 Whole plant soft to the touch, dull green, of a fetid smell like that of 

 mice ; often two feet high. Lower leaves on long footstalks. Flowers 

 (generally) purplish red. Fruit very rough. 



2. C. sylvaticum, Hajnke. Green-leaved Hound 's-tonaue. 

 Stem-leaves lanceolate, broad at the base, shining, sessile, 

 slightly hairy and scabrous, especially beneath ; stamens shorter 

 than the corolla. Br. Fl. 1. p. 87. E. Fl. v. i. p. 266. E. 

 Bot. t. 1642. 



Shady places by road sides, rare. A specimen in the late Dr. Scott's 

 herbarium was found by him near Balbriggan, but it has not been found 

 there of late. Fl. June, July. %. Readily distinguished from the last 

 by the more or less shining and brighter coloured leaves, free from pu- 

 bescence, and their different figure. Moot-leaves ovato-lanceolate, on 

 very long footstalks. 



OriD. 43. CONVOLVULACE^:. Juss. Bind-weed Family. 



Calyx with five divisions, persistent. Corolla monopetalous, 

 hypogynous, regular; the limb 5-fid, generally plaited, deci- 

 duous. Stamens 5, inserted at the bottom of the corolla, and 

 alternate with its segments. Ovary single, with an annular 

 gland at the base, 2 4-celled, rarely imperfectly 1-celled, some- 

 times 2 4-partite, with few definite, erect ovules, when more 

 than one, collateral : style 1, often divided at the apex, some- 

 times as far as the base : stigmas obtuse or acute. Capsule 

 1 4 celled, the margins of the valves corresponding to the 

 angles of a free dissepiment, bearing the seeds at its base, some- 

 times without valves or opening transversely (capsula circum- 

 scissa). Seeds with a small quantity of mucilaginous albumen. 

 Embryo curved : cotyledons wrinkled : radicle inferior. Herbs 

 or shrubs chiefly of tJie tropics, generally climbing and milky, 

 glabrous or with a simple pubescence. Leaves alternate, undi- 

 vided or lobed, rarely pinnatiftd, without stipules. Inflorescence 

 axillary or terminal; peduncles one, or many -flower td, the pe- 

 dicels often with two bracteas. 



The roots yield a copious acrid and purgative milky juice. 

 Convolvulus Jalapa affords Jalap, and C. Scammonia the Scam- 

 mony, and many others may be employed medicinally. An 

 esculent root, the Sweet Potatoe, is afforded by Convolvulus 

 Batatas. 



1. CONVOLVULUS. Linn. Bindweed. 



Calyx 5-cleft. Corolla campanulate, plicate. Stigmas two. 

 Capsules of 1 3 cells, with as many valves. Cells 1 2- 



