N. Ord. LOGANIACEJE. Lindl., Yeg. K., p. 602 ; Le Maout & Dec., 



p. 555. 

 Tribe Loganiete. 



Genus Strychnos,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., ii, p. 797. Species 

 about 60, widely spread through the tropics of both old 

 and new worlds. 



178 



178, Strychnos Nux-vomica,f Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. 1, p. 189 



(1753). 



Nux-vomica. Poison-nut. Kuchila (Bengal). 



Syn. S. colubrina, Wight. S. ligustrina, Blume ? 



Figures. Woodville, t. 79 ; Roxburgh, PL Coromandel, i, t. 4, cop. in 

 Hayne, i, t. 17 ; Steph. & Ch., t. 52 ; Nees, t. 209 ; Berg & Sch., 

 t. 136 ; Wight, Ic., t. 434 ; Beddome, Fl. Sylvat., t. 242. 



Description. A moderate-sized tree, with a short thick trunk 

 and irregular branches covered with a yellowish- grey nearly smooth 

 bark, branchlets much thickened at the nodes by the persistent 

 leaf-bases, dichotomous. Leaves opposite, without stipules, shortly 

 stalked, 2 4 inches long, oval-rotundate, rounded or somewhat 

 tapering at the base, acute at the apex, entire, smooth and shining 

 on both sides, 3- or 5-nerved from the base, but only the midrib 

 reaching the apex. Flowers laxly arranged in small trichotomous 

 paniculate cymes at the ends of the branches ; the central flowers 

 sessile, the lateral shortly stalked, pedicels downy. Calyx small, 

 with 5 shallow, acute, teeth, downy outside, persistent, thick. 

 Corolla over J inch long, funnel-shaped, with 5 short, valvate- 

 induplicate, oblong-lanceolate, blunt segments, rather fleshy, 

 smooth outside, densely hairy for the lower of the tube within, 

 greenish- white. Stamens 5, inserted in the throat of the corolla 

 and alternate with its lobes, filaments excessively short, anthers 

 oblong, dorsifixed, 2-celled. Ovary small, 2-celled, with numerous 



* Strychnos from the Greek arpv-^vov, equivalent to the Latin Solatium, was 

 used for several poisonous plants, but not for the present one. 



f Nux vomica was the name of the drug in the shops as early as the 16th 

 century. 



