370 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Rubiacece, especially when the former have opposite leaves and mixed 

 but capituliform inflorescences. They have no stipules, it is true, 

 but these are also wanting in some Rubiacece.^ We do not present 

 the polypetalous or gamopetalous character as absolutely differential, 

 because we now know that there are Rubiacece really polypetalous, 

 particularly in the series Morindece. Some Loranthacece of the group 

 Olacece, in which are found inferior ovaries, gamopetalous corollas and 

 descending ovules with dorsal raphe, thereby nearly approach the 

 Cornacece and some Rubiacece; but the latter have not normally, 

 except in a single doubtful case, oppositipetalous stamens. 



UsEs.^ — This family, very rich in useful products, is one of those 

 which best demonstrate the groundlessness of the theory that the 

 properties of plants exactly accord with their characters. It includes, 

 in fact, at once powerful tonic -astringents and remedies daily used as 

 evacuants. The most remarkable of the latter is the true Ipecacuanha, 

 the most commonly used being the curled variety. Two kinds are 

 distinguished in practice : the smaller curled Ip. which is the root of 

 Uragoga Ipecacuanha^ (fig. 262-265), a Brazilian species; and the 

 larger curled Ip. from a Columbian species not described, very near 

 to or only a variety of the former.* Although employed in Europe 

 chiefly as emetics, they were introduced as specifics against dysenteric 

 affections. Less active than the above, the striated Ip. is also of two 



^ By their inferior ovary and gamosepalous — Guib. loc. cit. 85, fig. 599 (empr. a Moquin), 



corolla, many Vacciniece approach the polysper- — Pereira, Elem. Mat. Med. (ed. 4) ii. p. ii. 55. 



mous EubiacecB. Their afl3.nity to the Dipsacew — Wedd. Ann. Sc. Nat. ser. 3, xi. 193. — Lindl. 



follows equally from that to the Valerianacece Fl. Med. 442. — Berg et Schm. Larst. Off. Gew, 



and Oompositce. t. 15 c. — Fluck. et Hanb. Fharmacogr. 331. — G. 



^ Endl. Enchirid. 276.— Lindl. Veg. Kingd. emetica Pers. Enchirid. i. 203 (part). — Callicocca 



(1846) 762, 767, 770.— Lindl. Fl. Med. 405. — Ipecacuanha Brot. Trans. Linn. Soc. vi. (1801) 



Guib. Drog. Simpl. (ed. 7) iii. 79. — Kosenth. 137, t 11. — I. officinalis Aksxih. Diss. il%lO). — 



Synops. Plant. Diaphor. Zl'd, \\\^. Ipecacuanha Pis. Bras. 231. — Ipecacoanha 



^ See p. 280, not. 1, 2. Cephcelis Ipecacuanha Marcgr. Bras. 17. 



KiCH. Diss. Ipec. 21, t. 1 ; Bull. Fac. Med. (1818). ■* Which we propose, for greater clearness, to 



—Mart. Mat. Med. Bras. i. 4, t. 1.— A. S.-H. call provisionally U. granatensis. 

 Fl. Ut. d. Bras. i. 6.— DO. Prodr. iv. 535, n. 25. 



