224 LC(»ANIACE.E. 



oblonpf, ontiro o; Muntly driiticulftto, ftmootli. Floworft rnpomoso on ft 

 naked Hoapc 1 ' lot liirh, wliitd or reddish, a|ii)<'iiriii}^' in 3[iiv or .lunc. 



llnbilat.— A 1 !)g8 .rum Now England to Pennsylvania, WisconKin, and 

 northward. 



I'arix IWd. — Tlio rhizomo and loavcH — not oflloial. ^[ 



(\n)Klilii(')dx. — ^V hitter principle, termed mc>nja)ill,i,i, appoarn to he 

 the oidy active constituent. 



I'ycpnralionx. — Infusion, decclion, and alcoholics tinctiu'e. 



Mfiliral IVojx-rlu'x and ^ w«. — Buckhean posHesses the hitter tonie 

 ])roperties common to the j^entianaceas and also has some cathartic power, 

 hence it may bo used in cases rociiiirinj? a tonic ajid laxative eft'cct. 

 >■ 



LOCANIACE^. 



Owraolcr of iho Order. — Herbs, shrubs, or trees, with opposite, entire, 

 stipulate leaves. Calyx \- to ^-parted. Corolla 4- to 5-clet't or parted, con- 

 volute, valvate, or imbricate in the bud. Stamens 4 to /), not always of 

 tlie same nuPiber as the lobes of the corolla. Ovary free from" calyx. I'Vuit 

 a capsule ov berry. 



An oi'der of plants inhabiting the tropics chietly, generally possessing 

 active poisonou'* properties. Strychnos, Celscmium and Spigelia are well- 

 known examples. 



rJELSEMIUM.— Yellow Jers-^mink. 



Gelsemium sempervirens Alton. — YpUoio .h'smminp. 



/)rs(ription. — Calyx small, 5-parted, the lobes lanceolate, acute. Corolla 

 funnel-form, J to 1\ inch long, the margin 5-lobed, the lobes imbricated 

 in the bud. Stamens 5, half as long as the corolla, upon which they are 

 inserted ; anthers oblong, sagittate. Style longer than the stamens ; stig- 

 mas 2, cacli 2-partcd. Pod elliptical, flattened contrai"}' to the partition, 

 2-celled, 2-valved, many-seeded. 



A smooth, twining, slnnibby perennial. Leaves opposite, entire, ovate 

 or lanceolate, pctiolate, smooth and shining, nearly evergreen. Flowers 

 showy and fragrant, in short axillary clusters ; pedicels with scaly bracts. 

 The flowers ajipear in !March and April. 



HahHaL — In low groiinda fi'om Virginia to Florida ; often cultivated for 

 ornament. 



Parts Used. — The rhizome and rootlets — United States- Pharmarnjnrui. 



Covs^tifurnf.'i. — In addition to common vegetable principles, there exist 

 in gelsemium a peculiar alkaloid, geheminia and gelsemvuc acid, the latter 

 being identical with (esridiu. a principle found in the horse-chestnut. 



rrejiaration?. — Extractum gelsemii fluidum — fluid extract of gelsemium ; 

 tinctura gelsemii — tincture of gelsemium. — United Slates Phwmacopii^ia. 



