362 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



b. LOGANIACE^ OR LOGANIA FAMILY.— The plants 

 are variable in character, being herbs, shrubs, trees or vines. 



Yellow jessamine {Gelsemium sempervircns) is a twining 

 woody vine, sometimes trailing on the ground for a considerable 

 distance (Fig. 207). The leaves are oblong-lanceolate and ever- 

 green. The flowers are bright yellow and dimorphic. The 

 fruit is a septicidally dehiscent capsule. The rhizome and roots 

 are official (p. 48b). 



Carolina pink (Spigelia marilandica) is a perennial herb with 

 ovate-lanceolate, more or less acute and nearly sessile leaves. The 

 flowers are yellow on the inner and scarlet on the outer surface, 

 and occur in a i -sided spike or scorpioid cyme. The fruit is a 

 circumscissile, 2-valved capsule (Fig. 172). The rhizome and 

 roots are official (p. 503). 



Strychnos Nux-vomica is a small tree with broadly elliptical, 

 3- to 5-nerved, reticulately-veined, somewhat acuminate, cori- 

 aceous leaves. The flowers are whitish and in terminal cymes. 

 The fruit is a berrj- of varying size and contains several seeds, 

 which are official (p. 436). 



Curare which is used by the Indians of South America as 

 an arrow-poison is supposed to be made from the bark of Strych- 

 nos toxifera growing in Guiana, and probably other species of 

 this genus. The active principle of this poison is the alkaloid 

 curarine, which when administered hypodermically has a powerful 

 action resembling that of digitalis. 



c. GENTIANACE.^ OR GENTIAN FAMILY.— The 

 plants are mostly herbs with regular, perfect, showy flowers occur- 

 ring usually in small cymes or racemes. 



Yellow gentian ( Gcntiana lutea) is a large, perennial herb 

 (Fig. 209) with large, 5- to 7-nerved, broadly elliptical leaves. 

 The flowers are yellow and occur in axillary cymes. The fruit is a 

 2-valved, ovoid capsule. The rhizome and roots are official (p. 483). 



Siveertia Chirata. — The entire plant is official (p. 637). 



A number of other plants of the Gentianacese contain bitter 

 principles, including one or more species of Centaury (Erythraea) 

 and Sabbatia, growing in the United States and Etirope. Sab- 

 batia Elliottii occurring in the pine barrens of the Southern States 

 is known as the " quinine herb." 



