BEX)STRA\V FAMILY ^35 



carpels. The majority, forming the tribe Cinchonece, are tropical 

 trees and shrubs with small stipules, and comprise not a few 

 species noted for the fragrance and beauty of their flowers, and 

 some of the highest utility to man, as food or medicine. Among 

 the food-plants, the Coffee (Coffea ardbica and C. Jibcriia) holds 

 thfr first place, the seeds filled with horny albumen being the 

 coffee-beans of commerce. Several species of Ciiuiiona, a genus 

 native to the Andes, furnish Peruvian or Jesuits' liark, Irom 

 which Quinine is prepared ; and Ipecacuanha is the root of 

 Cephdelis Ipecacudnlia, a small shrub growing in the damp forests 

 of Brazil. The British species, however, all belong to a very 

 distinct type. They are herbaceous plants, with slender angular 

 stems, and leaves with such large stipules between them as to Ibrm 

 a star-like whorl, whence they have been separated as the tribe 

 StelldtcB. Their flowers are small, polysymmetric and 4 — 6-merous ; 

 the sepals sometimes indistinguishable; corolla rotate or tubular; 

 ovai'v 2-chambered ; ovule i in each chamber; frv.il dry, con- 

 sisting of 2 indehiscent cocci. They belong to temperate and 

 cold latitudes and possess no remarkable properties, except that 

 of containing a red colouring matter in their roots, which is used 

 as a dye. The most important is Ri'ihia iincloria, the ]\[adder, 

 the roots of which, besides yielding the valuable dye, possess 

 the singular propertv of imparting a red colour to the bones 

 of animals that feed on them. Ri'diia cordijolia is the Manjit, 

 another valuable red dye, a native of India. None of the British 

 species are of any great value, through the fragrance of the leaves 

 of the Woodruff, when dried, is well known, the flow-evs of the 

 Lady's Bedstraw {Gdliiim veriiiu) were used as rennet to curdle 

 milk, and the seeds of the genus Gdliuin are said to be. when 

 roasted, a good substitute for coft'ee. 



1. RuBiA. — No distinct sepals; rorolla wheel-shaped, or bell- 

 shaped, 5-lobcd ; fruit fleshy. 



2. G.ALIU-M. — No distinct sepals; eorolla wheel-shaped, 4-lobed; 

 fruit dry. 



3. AsPKRULA. — No distinct 5f/)(7/5.- r(?;7.)//(3 bell-shaped, 4-lobed ; 

 fruit dry. 



4. Sherardia. — Sepals 4 — 6 : corolla funnel-shaped, 4-lobed ; 

 fruit dry. 



1. RuPiA (Madder). — Herbs with axillarv_ and terminal n')«« 

 of small flowers ; ealyx-liinb ring-shaped or absent ; eorolla rotate 

 or campanulate, 5-lobed ; stamens 4 : styles 2, short : fruit a 2- 

 lobed berry. (Name from the Latin ruber ,, red, from the dye 

 obtained from some species.) 



