200 ROSACE^E. Spir^a. 



Stem branching, 3-5 feet high, smooth. Leaves very large, sometimes bipinnatcly divided: 

 leaflets 2-3 inciics long, smooth. Flowers very small, white, in numerous long slender 

 spikes. 



On the Catskill mountains {Prof. Eaton). I have seen no specimen recently from this 

 State. 



5, GILLENIA. Moench, suppl. p. 286 ; Nutt. gen. 1 . p. 307 ; Endl. gen. 6393. 



INDIAN PHYSIC. 



[A name of unknown meaning.] 



Calyx tubular-campanulate, 5-toothed ; the teeth glandular-ciliate. Petals 5, linear-lanceolate, 

 very long, inserted into the throat of the caly.v. Stamens 10 - 20, mostly included, inserted 

 in 2 or 3 scries below the petals. Carpels 5, distinct, 2-valved : styles filiform. Seeds 

 2 (or more ?), oblong, ascending from the base of each carpel ; the testa thin, and rather 

 crustaceous. — Perennial herbs, with trifoliolate, stipulate, nearly sessile leaves ; the leaflets 

 membranaceous, doubly serrate and incised. Flowers (rose-color) paniculate-corymbose ; 

 the peduncles and pedicels elongated. — Roots emetic and cathartic. 



1. GiLLENiA TRiFOLiATA, Mceuch. Indian Physic. BowmarCs-root. 



Stipules very small, linear-setaceous, entire ; leaflets ovate-oblong, acuminate ; ovaries 

 pubescent. — Nutt. gen. I. c. ; DC. prodr. 2. p. 546 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 562 ; Torr.Jl. I. p. 463 ; 

 Beck, hot. p. 108 ; Darlingt. ft. Cest. p. 300 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 418. Spiraea 

 trifoliata, Linn. sp. 1. p. 489 ; Michx. fl.l. p. 294 ; Bot. mag. t. 489 ; Mill. ic. t. 252; 

 Bigel. med. hot. 3. p. 11. i. 41 ; Bart. veg. mat. med. \.t. 5. 



Stem 2-3 feet high, slender, smooth, paniculately branched. Upper leaves on very short 

 petioles, the lower ones petiolate : leaflets 2-3 inches long, a little pubescent underneath, 

 nearly smooth above, cut and irregularly serrate. Flowers few, in loose corymbose terminal 

 panicles ; the pedicels slender. Calyx smoothish ; the teeth much shorter than the tube, 

 acute. Petals pale rose-color or nearly white, about three-fourths of an inch long and 2 lines 

 wide, much narrowed at the base, rather unequal. Stamens about 15, scarcely the length of 

 the calyx. Ovaries slightly cohering, hairy, each with 4 collateral ovules ascending from the 

 base of the placenta : style slender. 



Shady woods, and on rocky hills ; western and southwestern counties. Fl. June. Fr. 

 August. 



The root of this plant has long possessed much reputation for its medicinal properties. It 

 acts as an emetic or a cathartic, according to the dose ( Wood <Sf Bache's U. S. Dispensatory, 

 p. 560). 



