SYNANTIIERE/E. 



023 



This fiimily is divided into — 



1. CAMrANL'LACE.E. — Corolla regular, stamina 

 distinct, capsule with two polyspermous cells, as 

 campanula, phyteuma, prismatocarjms, jasione, 

 &c. 



2. LoisELiACE.E, Rich. — Corolla irregular, sta- 

 mina united by the anthers, stigma surrounded 

 hy hairs, as lobelia, Ij/sipomia, Sec. 



3. GooDENOviE/E, Browu. — Corolla irregular, 

 stamina free or united hy the anthers, stigma 

 surrounded by a kind of cup, a bilocular cap- 

 sule, or a monospernious nut, as goodenovia, 

 euthalcs, lechenaultia, &c. 



4. Stylidie.e, Brown. — Corolla irregular ; two 

 stamina, of which the filaments are confounded 

 with the style, and form a hind of central 

 column; stigma situated between the two 

 anthere ; capsule bilocular, bivalve, as sti/lidium, 

 Icuwenhoehia, &c. 



The roots and young shoots of campanula 

 rapunculus and phvteuina spicata, are eaten. 

 The lobeliaceiE are acrid and fretjucntly poison- 

 ous. Ijohdia inflata is a jiowerful emetic and 

 diaphoretic, but produces great debility. Ldielia 

 longiflora is extremely violent in its ojjeration. 

 The properties of many are unknown. Several 

 of the genera are ornamental flowers. 



SyNAXTiiERE.E, Rich. Cichoraceoe, corymhi- 

 ferw, and ci/naroceplial<s, Jussieu. Compositce 

 of Authors. This great family is one of the best 

 defined and best characterized in the vegetable 

 kingdom. It comprehends herbaceous plants, 

 shrubs, or even small trees. Their leaves are 

 commonly alternate, rarely opposite. Their 

 flowers, which are generally small, form capitula 

 orcalathidia, which are hemispherical, globulai-, 

 or more or less elongated. Each capitulum is 

 composed: ]st. Of a common receptacle, thick 

 and sometimes fleshy, convex or concave, which 

 has received the names oi pkvrantlnum and cli- 

 nanthium; 2dly, Of a common involucre which 

 surrounds the capitulum, and is composed of 

 scales, the form, number, and disposition of 

 which vary in the different genera; ."Jdly, Of 

 small scales or hairs, which are frequently found 

 on the receptacle at the base of each flower. 

 The flowers which form the capitula are of two 

 kinds: some present a regular, monopetalous 

 funnel-shaped corolla, generally with five regu- 

 lar lobes, and are nam^HL florets, flosculi ; others 

 have an irregular corolla, thrown to one side in 

 the form of a strap, and arc named scmiflorcts, 

 semiflosculi. Sometimes the cajiitula are com- 

 posed exclusively of florets, sometimes exclu- 

 sively of semiflorets, and sometimes their centre 

 is occupied by florets, and their circumference by 

 semiflorets. Each flower presents the following 

 organization: The calyx, which is adherent to 

 the ovary, has its limb entire, membranous, 

 toothed, and formed of scales or hairs ; the cor- 

 olla monopetalous, regular or irregular; five 



sLamina with distinct filaments, but with the 

 anthers united, and forming a tube tlu-ough 

 which passes a simple style, terminated by a 

 bifid stigma. The fruit is an akenium, naked at 

 its summit, or crowned l)y a membranous mar- 

 gin, small scales, or a tuft of simple or feathery 

 hairs, Avhich is sessile or stipitate. The seed is 

 erect, containing a homotrope embryo, without 

 endosperm. 



This family, which has much engaged the. 

 attention of botanists, may be divided into three 

 princi])al tribes. 



1. The Cynarocepiiai./E, of which all the 

 flowers areflosculi, and which have their receiv 

 tacle furnished with numerous hairs or alveola?, 

 the style enlarged, and furnished with hairs 

 under the stigma. Such are the genera cartha- 

 mtis, carduus, cynara, ccntaurea, onopordum, &c. 



2. The C1CHORACE.1;, of which all the flowers 

 are semiflosculi. Such are the genera lactuca, 

 cichoriiim, sonclms, Meracium, prenanthes, &c. 



3. The CoRYMBiFER.«, of which the capitula 

 are generally composed of floscuU at the centre, 

 and semiflosculi at the circumference, as Ticlian- 

 tlms, chrysanthemum, anthemis, matricaria, &c. 



The synanthereic are generally bitter, and more 

 or less stimulant and tonic. The cinarocephala) 

 abound in bitter extractive, and many of them 

 have consequently been used as stomachics and 

 tonics ; such as carduus henedictiis, c. marianus, 

 &c. Arctium lappa is diaphoretic and diuretic. 

 The young leaves possess little bitterness, and 

 may be used as salad. The seeds are oily and 

 aperient. The cichoraceio have a milky, bitter, 

 narcotic juice, which, when inspissated, resem- 

 bles opium in its action. Lactuca virosa and 

 st/lvestris, and cichorium intyhus, are more espe- 

 cially remarkable for this narcotic juice. Cul- 

 tivation deprives these plants of their bitter 

 quality, and renders them eatable, as is the case 

 with the common lettuce. Others, by being 

 blanched, are rendered palatable, and are com- 

 mon aTticles of food. The corymbifera; resem- 

 ble the cynarocephalaj in their properties. Tus- 

 silago farfara, eupatorium pcr/oliatu?n, inula 

 helenium, and common chamomile, are stom- 

 achic, stimulant, and tonic. They contain a 

 resinous principle combined with bitter extrac- 

 tive. Others, in which the resinous matter pre- 

 dominates, are used as anthelmintics and eme- 

 nagogues, as artemisia, tanacetum, and santolina. 



Calycere.e, Rich. Herbaceous plants, bear- 

 ing a considerable resemblance to the scabios.-e 

 in their general asjiect. Their stem bears alter- 

 nate leaves, often divided and pinnatifid. The 

 flowers are small, and form globular capitula, 

 surrounded by a common involucre. The recep- 

 tacle which bears the flowers is furnished with 

 foliaceous scides, which are sometimes united to 

 the flowers, so as not to be distinct from them. 

 The calyx is iiuilerent to the inferior ovary, and 



