MEN1SPERMACE.S. 



762. C. platyphyllus Aug. de St. Hil pi. us. No. 42.^?. bras. 

 i. 59. Province of Minas Novas in Brazil. (Butua.) 



Leaves broad heart-shaped, obsoletely crenated, downy and hoary 

 underneath. Used for the same purposes as the last ; the property 

 appears to be owing to the presence of a bitter and tonic principle. 



763. C. crispus DC. syst. i. 521. Menispermum crispum 

 Linn, sp.pl. 1468. M. verrucosum Roxb.fl. ind. iii. 808. Funis 

 felleus Rumph. v. t. 44. f. 1. Java, Amboyna, Baley. 



Stems and branches scandent, and twining, round, much warted. 

 Young shoots round and smooth. The plants in 2 years spread them- 

 selves entirely over pretty large trees. When by accident, or otherwise, 

 any of the stems or larger branches, are cut in two, long filiform roots 

 spring from the upper portion, let the distance be ever so great, which 

 quickly descend to, and enter the earth ; by this wonderful economy 

 the perfectibility of the plant is soon restored ; such uncommon care 

 has Nature taken for the preservation of these plants, which must, no 

 doubt, be intended for some purpose, of which we are probably still 

 ignorant. Leaves remote, petioled, cordate, acuminate, entire, smooth 

 on both sides ; lobes large, and rounded j from 4 to 6 inches long, and 

 from 3 to 5 broad. Petioles columnar, smooth, two thirds the length 

 of the leaves. ^ . Racemes, 1, 2, 3, or 4 from the scars of the fallen 

 leaves, over the larger naked branches, simple, round, smooth. Flowers 

 generally in pairs on their proper, slender, diverging pedicels ; with a 

 small, oval, fleshy bract at their insertion. Calyx 6-leaved; leaflets 

 ovate, small. Petals (inner sepals) 6, cuneate, inserted on the outside 

 of the filaments, a little above their base. Filaments 6, expanding. 

 Anthers 4-sided. Roxb. The whole plant is exceedingly bitter, and 

 is employed by the Malays in the cure of intermittent fevers. It is 

 said to be quite as powerful a febrifuge as Peruvian Bark. 



764. C. acuminatus DC. syst. i. 527. Deless. ic. sel. i. t. 95. 

 W. and A. i. 12. C. radiatus DC. 1. c. Menispermum acumi- 

 natum Lam. diet. iv. 101. M. radiatum id. 100. M. polycarpum 

 Roxb.fi. ind. iii. 817. Tiliacora racemosa Cokbr. in Linn, trans. 

 xiii. 67. Braunea menispermoides Willd.iv.797. (Rheedevii. t. 3.) 

 * Among hedges and bushes in Coromandel and Brazil. 



Stem woody, twining to a great extent. Bark ash-coloured. Leaves 

 alternate, petioled, cordate, pointed, smooth, shining, and frequently 

 scolloped, about 5 inches long, and 3 broad. Racemes axillary, erect, 

 in the male frequently compound ; in the female simple, erect, bearing 

 but few flowers. Bractes minute, caducous. Flowers small, yellow. 

 <$. Calyx 9-leaved j the 3 exterior ones small. Petals (inner sepals) 

 6, obcordate, clawed, about the size of the calyx. Filaments 6, subu- 

 late, erect, alternately shorter, of the length of the corolla. Anthers 

 oval. $ Calyx, &c. as in the male. Ovaries superior, about 12 in a 

 circle, each ending in a short, subulate style. Stigmas simple. Drupes 

 or berries many, short-pedicelled, ovate, smooth, red, about the size of 

 a French bean. Nut 1, or 2-celled. Roxb. Used as an antidote 

 to the bites of snakes, being rubbed between 2 stones and mixed with 

 water. 



765. C. cordifolius DC. syst. i. 518. W. and A. i. 12. 



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