GENTIANA. 



round. Used as a substitute for Gentiana lutea in the shops of 

 Bavaria and Austria. The roots are extremely bitter and not inferior 

 to that species. 



1093. G. punctata Linn, is collected on the Alps of Europe, 

 as well as the two last, in great quantities, and is sold for G. lutea 

 to which it is not inferior in quality. 



1094. G. Kurroo Eoyle MSS. Pneumonanthe Kurroo Don 

 in Eoyle' s Illustrat. 278. t. 68. Mussooree, Simla, and other 

 parts in the Himalayas. 



Stems about 1 -flowered. Leaves obtuse; the radical long, lanceo- 

 late, those on the stems linear. Teeth of the calyx long, subulate. 

 Corolla funnel-shaped, with an intense blue spreading 10-lobed limb, 

 the principal lobes of which are ovate and acute, the intermediate ones 

 scale-like teeth. The root is used like Gentian in the north of India. 



1095. G. lutea Linn, sp.pl 335. Frolich. gent. p. 15. N. and 

 E.pl med. t. 199. Mill. ic. t. 139. R. and S. vi. 136. Al- 

 pine meadows in the middle of Europe. (Common Gentian.) 



Root cylindrical, wrinkled, ringed, thick, forked, brown externally, 

 yellow within. Stem 3 or 4 feet high, hollow, and stout. Radical 

 leaves ovate-oblong, 5-nerved, 2 or 3 inches broad ; those on the stem 

 sessile, ovate, acute ; those next the flowers cordate, amplexicaul, con- 

 cave ; all a pale bright green. Flowers bright yellow, in many-flowered 

 whorls, stalked. Calyx of a papery texture, and semi-transparent, 3- or 

 4-cleft, with short lanceolate unequal segments. Corolla with a very 

 short tube, and 5-6 green glands at the base, 5-6-parted, with oblong, 

 acute, veiny lobes. Anthers subulate, somewhat united, becoming dis- 

 tinct. Stigmas revolute. Capsule oblong, stalked. Seeds roundish, 

 compressed, with a membranous brownish border. The root of this 

 species furnishes the Gentian of the shops, a valuable bitter drug, em- 

 ployed extensively in certain forms of dyspepsia, in intermittents, and 

 as an anthelmintic. In full doses it is apt to relax the bowels, and it 

 does not always agree with the stomach ; in fact it possesses a volatile 

 principle capable of producing nausea and a kind of intoxication. The 

 root contains a good deal of sugar and mucilage which enables the 

 Swiss to prepare from it a liqueur held in high esteem among that people. 



AGATHOTES. 



Corolla withering, rotate, in aestivation twisted to the right ; 

 with glandular hollows protected by a fringed scale upon the 

 segments. Anthers not changing. Stigmas sessile. Capsule 

 conical, 1 -celled, with spongy placentae upon the sutures. Seeds 

 indefinite, minute. 



1096. A. Chirayta Don in Lond. Phil. Mag. 1836. p. 76. 

 Gentiana Chirayta Fleming in As. research, xi. 167. Roxb.fi. 

 ind ii. 71. Nepal and the north of India. 



An annual. Stems single, straight, round, smooth, jointed ; branches 

 generally decussated, nearly erect, with their extremities somewhat 

 angular j the whole height of the plant about 3 feet, Leaves opposite, 

 amplexicaul, lanceolate, very acute, entire, smooth, 3- or 5-nerved. 

 Flowers very numerous, stalked, the whole upper half of the plant 

 519 LL 4 



