PLUMBAGINjE. 



615 



a fleshy cnaosperm, at the centro of which is a 

 cylindrical axile and homotrope embryo. 



The plautaginse are herbaceous, rarely suffru- 

 tescent plants, often stemless, and having only 

 radical peduncles, which bear spikes of very 

 dense flowers. Their leaves are often radical, 

 entire toothed, or variously incised. They grow 

 in all latitudes. 



The seeds oiplantago ispaghula and psyllium, 

 form, with water, a mucilage, which, in India, 

 is employed as a demulcent. The herbage is 

 bitter, but without remarkable properties. 



PLUMBAGiKiE, Jussieu. A natural family of 

 dicotyledonous plants, placed by some among 

 the apetalsB, and by others among the monope- 

 talas. They are herbaceous or suffrutescent 

 plants, with alternate leaves, sometimes all col- 

 lected at the base of the stem, and sheathing. 

 The flowers are disposed in spikes, or in branched 

 and tei-minal racemes. Their calyx is monose- 

 palous, tubular, plicate and persistent, generally 

 with five divisions. The corolla is sometimes 

 monopetalous, sometimes formed of five equal 

 petals, which not unfrequently are united toge- 

 ther at the base. The stamina, generally five in 

 number, and opposite to the divisions of the 

 corolla, are epipetalous, when the corolla is poly- 

 petalous, and immediately Jiypogynous when the 

 corolla is monopetalous (which is the reverse of 

 the general disposition). The ovary is free, 

 pretty frequently five-cornered, with a single cell, 

 containing an ovule hanging to the summit of 

 a filiform and basilar podosperm. The styles, 

 from three to five in number, are terminated by 

 an equal number of subulate stigmas. The fiiiit 

 is an akeniuna enveloped by the calyx. The 

 seed is composed of a proper integument and a 

 farinaceous endosperm, in the centre of which is 

 an embryo having the same direction as the 

 seed. 



This little family is composed of the genera 

 plumbago, statice, limonium, vogelia of Lamarck, 

 theta of Loureiro, osgialitis of Brown. It differs 

 from the nyctaginese, which are monoperian- 

 thous, in having its ovule supported upon a long 

 podosperm, at the summit of which it hangs, in 

 having several styles and stigmas, in having the 

 embryo straight and not bent upon itself. Their 

 virtues are tonic, astringent, or acrid. The root 

 of statice caroUniana is powerfully astringent. 

 Those of several species of /ifomiagro are extremely 

 caustic, and have been employed as rubefacients 

 and vesicatories, as well as in the treatment of 

 ulcers. 



PEiMUi.ACE^,Vent. LYSIMACHI.E, Jussieu. The 

 primulacesE are annual or perennial plants, with 

 opposite or verticillate, very rarely scattered, 

 leaves. Their flowers are disposed in spikes, or 

 in axillar or terminal racemes ; sometimes they 

 are solitary, or variously grouped. The calyx 

 is monosepalous, with five or four divisions ; the 



corolla monopetalous and regular, sometimes 

 tubular at the base, sometimes very deeply divi- 

 ded into five segments. The stamina, five in 

 number, are either free or monadelphous, and 

 are inserted at the upper part of the tube of the 

 coi-oUa, or at the base of its divisions. They are 

 opposite to the divisions, and their introrsal 

 anthers open each by a longitudinal groove. The 

 ovary is free, with a single cell containing a very 

 great number of ovules attached to a central tro- 

 phosperm. The style and the stigma are sim- 

 ple. The fruit is a unilocular, polyspermous 

 capsule, opening by three or five valves, or an 

 operculate pyxidium. The seeds present a cyl- 

 indrical embryo placed transversely to thehilum 

 in a fleshy endosperm. 



The principal genera which compose this 

 family are : primula, lysimachia, hottonia, ana- 

 gallis, cj/clamen, centunculus, &c. Samolus has 

 also been united to it, although its ovary is, to a 

 great extent, adherent to the calyx. In all its 

 other characters, however, it agrees with this 

 family. 



The primulacefe are very well characterized 

 by their stamina being opposite to the divisions 

 of the corolla, their unilocular capsule, the seeds 

 of which are attached to a central trophosperm, 

 and their embryo placed transversely before the 

 hilum. In these different characters, they come 

 very near the myrsineae, which differ in having 

 the fruit fleshy, and the seeds immersed in pits 

 of the trophosperm, which is fleshy and very 

 large. 



The root of Cyclamen is acrtd, but the family 

 is not distinguished by any remarkable proper- 

 ties. The pi-imrose, and many other species, are 

 beautiful garden flowers. Hollonia is a beauti- 

 ful aquatic, common in England. 



Lentieulari^ Rich. A small family, con- 

 sisting of only two genera, utricularia and pin- 

 guicula, which were formerly placed at the end 

 of the primulaceae. They ai-e small herbaceous 

 plants, growing among water, or in moist and 

 inundated places. Their leaves are either clus- 

 tered in a rosaceous form, at the base of the 

 stems, or divided into capillar, and often vesi- 

 cular segments, in the species which grow 

 immersed in the water. The stem is always 

 simple, bearing one or several flowers at its 

 extremity. The calyx is persistent, monose- 

 palous, and as it were divided into two lips. 

 The corolla is monopetalous, irregular, spurred, 

 and also two-lipped. The stamina, two in num- 

 ber, are included, and are inserted at the very 

 base of the corolla. The ovary is one- celled, and 

 contains a great number of ovules attached to a 

 central trophosperm. The style is simple and 

 very short ; the stigma bilameUate. The fruit 

 is a unilocular, polyspermous capsule, opening 

 either transversely, or by a longitudinal slit, 

 which divides its summit into two valves. The 



