ONAGRARIACE/E 491 



in the Antilles, a good remedy for various maladies of the digestive 

 canal and the lymphatic system, intermittent fevers and blennorhœa. 

 The Gunn&ras are also astringent plants ; their juice becomes black 

 when exposed to the air and stains iron a deep black. G. chilensis ' 

 (fig. 472-474) is employed in Peru to dress and dye skins. Its roots 

 and leaves are useful as astringents, hemostatics, and antidiarrhœtics. 

 The thick and fleshy petioles are used as vegetables. At the Capo 

 G. perpensa 2 (fig. 475) is reputed stomachic, vulnerary ; its stock is 

 prescribed in dyspepsia and affections of the digestive canal and 

 liver. In Java G. macrocephala 3 bears fruit esteemed as stimulant. 

 The Harolagece are little employed. In New Zealand, Haloragis 

 micrantha* is noted for the odour of its leaves. In Europe and 

 North America Myriophyllon, particularly M. spicatum 5 and verti- 

 cillatum fi (fig. 464) are considered antiphlogistic ; the stock serves 

 to polish soft wood. Hippuris vulgaris 7 (fig. 476-481) is held to be 

 slightly astringent. Trapa formerly had the same reputation, espe- 

 cially T. nutans 8 (fig. 453-456), a species rather common in our 

 fresh water, the embryo of which is eaten cooked or raw ; its flavour 

 is sweet or slightly astringent. It is said to be indigestible, but is 

 nevertheless consumed in considerable quantity in the west of France. 

 It is said to have been eaten by the ancient Thracians instead of bread, 

 as it is now in a part of Sweden. In Limousin a boiled food is 

 prepared from it not unlike a thick chestnut porridge. At Venice 

 it is eaten as nuts. The stems and leaves, sometimes serving as 

 fodder, are employed in reducing poultices. In China, especially 

 around Canton, the fruit of T. bicomis 9 is used for food in 

 the same way ; at Saïgon that of T. cochinchinensis 10 is commonly 



1 Lamk. Diet. ii. 61 ; III. t. 801 a. — Eosenth. lers however represent this species as absolutely 



op. cit. 909. — A. DC. Prodi: xvi. s. ii. 598. — G. inodorous. 



scabra E. et Pav. Prodr. Fl. Per. i. 29, t. 44.— s L. Spec. 1409.— Schkuhb, Handb. t. 296.— 



G. pilosa H. B. K. Nov. Gen. et Sp.ii. 24. — Panke DC. Prodr. iii. 68, n. 1. — Gren. et Godr. Fl. de 



Anapodophytti folio Feuill. Obs. ii. 741, t. 30 Fr. i. 588. — Eosenth. op. cit. 909. 



{Pangue, Nalca). 6 L. Spec. 1410.— DC. Prodr. n. 4.— Gren. et 



- L. Maiitiss. 121.— Thunb. Fl. Cap. (éd. Godr. Fl. de Fr. i. 587. 



Schult.) 32. — Harv. and Sond. Fl. Cap. ii. 571. 7 L. Spec. 3. — DC. Prodr. iii. 71, n. 1.— Gn. et 



—DC. Prodr. n. 7.— Bot. Mag. t. IZI^.—Blitum Godr. Fl. de Fr. i. 589.— Eosenth. op. cit. 999. 



Africanum Calthm Palustris Folio Pluk. Plujt. 8 L. Spec. 175. — Schkuhr, Handb. t. 25. — 



t. IS. — Perpcnsum blitispermum Burm. Prodr. Lamk. III. t. 75. — DC. Prodr. iii. 63, n. 1.— (!it. 



up. 26. et Godr. Fl. de Fr. i. 589. — Eosenth. op. cit. 910. 



3 Bl. ex Eosenth. op. cit. 909. 9 L. r. Suppl. 128.— DC. Prodr. iii. 64, n. 4. 



4 E. Br.— Hook. f. Man. N.-Zcal. Fl. 66.— — T. c/iinensis Lour. Fl. Cochinch. (ed. 1790) 

 11. tmtila Ad. Br. — Goniocarpns citriodorus A. 86. 



Clnn. M.J. Hooker, and several other travel- 10 Lour. lue. cit. 



