CESTRACEit GENTIANACE^. 519 



42, t. 1729. i W. Indies? — C. tinctorium, Jacq. 5 Caraccas. — C. 

 latifolium. Lam. B Trinidad. — C. bracteatum, Lk. and Otto. ; B. M. 

 57, t. 2974. B Rio Janeiro. — C. pallidum, Lam. B Jamaica. — C. Parqui, 

 L'Herit; B. M. 42, t. 1770. B Brazil.— C. alaternoides, Hort. Paris; 

 B. M. 56, t. 2929. B Trinidad. — C hirtum, Swz. B Jamaica. — 

 C macrophyllum. Vent. B W. Indies. — Vestia lycioides, Willd. B 

 Chili. 



ORDER CCXl.— GENTIANACE^. Lindl. Nat. Syst. p. 296. 



THE GENTIAN TRIBE. 



Herbs, seldom shrubs, by Lindl, referred to 41, or perhaps, only to 37 

 genera, " extending over almost all parts of the world, from the regions of 

 perpetual snow upon the summits of the mountains of Europe, to the hot- 

 test sands of S. America, and India. They however, do not appear in 

 the Flora of Melville Island, but they form part of that of the Straits of 

 Magellan." {Lindl.) Spreng. syst. enumerates about 100 species for S. 

 America and Mexico ; 50 for Europe ; 40 for N. America ; 26 for New 

 Holland and Van Diemen's Land ; 20 for Siberia ; 10 for Tauria, Caucasus, 

 and Altai; 2 for Madagascar; 2 for Japan; 1 for Arabia; and 1 for the 

 Azores. In S. Africa have been found 30 species ; and in the E. Indies, 

 according to D. Don. and Wall. Cat., about 68, viz. 10 of Gentiana ; 2 of 

 Pneumonanthe ; 5 oiEricala; 3 oi Eurythalia ; 2 oi Crawfurdia ; 9 oi Stver- 

 tia ; 3 of Agathotes ; 6 of Ophelia; 1 of Halenia ; 1 of Erythraa ; 8 of 

 Canscora ; 9 of Exaciim ; 1 of Slevogtia ; 2 of Mitreola ; 1 of Mitrasacme ; 

 and 4-5 of Villarsia. Of these by far the greater part inhabit the Hima- 

 layas, Khassya Mountains, Neelgheries, and other Mountains of both Pe- 

 ninsulas of India and Ceylon. But few are found in the plains, such as Ery- 

 thraa centnuridides ; Canscora diffusa, decussata,pusilla, sessilijlora ; Exacum 

 tetragonuvi, pedunculatum ; Slevogtia verticillata ; Villarsia indicd, cris- 

 tata, &c. 



" The intense bitterness of the Gentian is a characteristic of the whole 

 order. It resides both in the stems and roots, and renders them tonic, 

 stomachic, and febrifugal ; and it is very remarkable that there are no ex- 

 ceptions to these properties in the whole order, as it is now limited." 

 {Lindl.) 

 Agathotes, D. Don. (G. Don's Mill. diet. 4, p. 177.) 



1. Cherayta, D. Don. (G. Don. I. c. — Swertia Cheyrata, Buck. MSS. — 

 S. racemosa, Wall. Cat. — Gentiana Cheyrata, Roxb. fl. ind. 2, p. 71 ; 

 — Wall. pi. as. rar. 3, t. 252;— Rom. and Sch.) fp^"^ Chirata. 

 Mussooree. Nepal. Kemaon. Fl. smallish, bright yellow. 'Has been 



