620 



HISTORY OF THE ■VEUETABLE KINGDOM. 



by a sterile filament, which is the indication of 

 a fiftli abortive stamen. In some genera the 

 five stamina are equal, or two only are fertile. 

 The ovary, which is placed upon a hypogynous 

 disk, presents one or two cells usually containing 

 several ovules. The style is simple and termi- 

 nated by a bilamellate stigma. The fruit is a 

 capsule with one or two cells, opening by two 

 valves opposite to the dissepiment. In some 

 rare cases the fruit is fleshy, or hard and inde- 

 hiscent. The seeds, which are often margined 

 with a membranous wing all round, contain 

 beneath their proper integument an erect embryo, 

 destitute of endosperm. 



The principal genera of this family are ligno- 

 nia, catalpa, jacaranda, tecoma, &c., of which 

 the seeds are winged; and sesamum, martynia, 

 and craniolaria, of which the seeds are wing- 

 less. They are generally tropical plants and 

 have showy ornamental flowers. Bignonia radi- 

 cans is a beautiful climbing plant, and i\iejacar- 

 andas have large blue and purple flowers, with 

 elegant leaves. Their wood is said to resist the 

 attacks of worms. 



Gentiane^e, Jussieu. Nearly all the genti- 

 anfe are herbaceous plants, rarely frutescent, 

 bearing smooth, entire, opposite leaves. Flowers 

 solitary, terminal or axillar, or collected into 

 simple spikes. Calyx monosepalous, often per- 

 sistent, with five divisions. Corolla monopetal- 

 ous, regular, commonly with five lobes, which 

 are imbricated previous to their development. 

 The stamina are of the same number as the divi- 

 sions of the corolla, and alternate with them. 

 The ovary, sometimes contracted and in a man- 

 ner fusiform at its base, has a single cell, con- 

 taining a great number of ovules attached to two 

 parietal and sutural trophosperms, bifid on the 

 inner side. The style is simple and deeply 

 bipartite ; each division bearing a stigma. The 

 fruit is a one-celled capsule, containing a very 

 great number of seeds. It opens by two valves, 

 the edges of which are more or less inflected to 

 meet the trophosperms. The seeds are generally 

 very small, and their embryo, which is erect, is 

 contained in the axis of a fleshy endosperm. 



This family is well characterized by its gene- 

 ral appearance, its opposite entire leaves, and 

 their glaucous green colour. It is allied, on the 

 one hand, to the proteacese, from which it dif- 

 fers in its opposite leaves, its two-celled ovaries, 

 and the peculiar mode of dehiscence of its cap- 

 sule ; and, on the other hand, to the scrophul- 

 arine£e, which, however, are easily distinguished 

 by their irregular corolla, their four didynamous 

 stamina, and the dehiscence of their fruit. Of 

 the genera of this family we may mention gen- 

 tiana, eri/tlircea, cliironia, exacum, villarsia, and 

 menyomthes. The two last are remarkable for 

 their alternate leaves, which are ternate in meny- 

 anllics. 



They are all pretty plants, but are finer in 

 their wild state than when cultivated. In their 

 properties they are generally bitter, stomachic, 

 and tonic. The roots of gentiana lutea, purpu- 

 rea, rubra, and amarilla, are employed as such. 

 Menyanthes trifoliata is also intensely bitter, as 

 is villarsia nymphoides. Erythrcea centaurium 

 and latifolia yield an intense bitter, less nau- 

 seous than that of most others. 



Apocyne.e, Jussieu. Apocynets and Asclepi- 

 adeee, Jussieu. StrycAnew, Jussieu. The apo- 

 cj'neiE are very different in their aspect. They 

 are herbaceous plants, shrubs, or even tall trees, 

 and generally lactescent. Their leaves are sim- 

 ple and opposite. Flowers axillar or terminal, 

 solitary or variously aggregated. The calj'X 

 monosepalous, with five divisions, sometimes 

 spreading, sometimes tubular. Corolla mono- 

 petalous, regular, of very diversified form, some- 

 times presenting five concave, petaloid appenda- 

 ges, which spring from the throat of the corolla, 

 and are in part united to the stamina, which are 

 five in number, sometimes free and distinct, 

 sometimes united by the filanients and anthers, 

 and forming a kind of tube which covers the 

 pistil, and is often united at its summit to the 

 stigma. The anthers are two-celled, and the 

 pollen which they contain is pulverulent in 

 those whose stamina are free, and in solid masses 

 of the same form as the interior of the cell in 

 those in which the stamina are united. Each 

 pollen-mass is terminated at its summit by a 

 gland, which is united to that of the pollen-mass 

 next to it. Two free ovaries, applied upon a 

 hypogynous disk, united together by their inner 

 side or only by their summit, present each a 

 cell \vhich contains a great number of ovules 

 placed at their inner suture. The two styles are 

 sometimes vmited into one, and terminate in a 

 more or less discoid, sometimes cylindrical and 

 truncate stigma. The fruit is a simple or double 

 follicle ; more rarely it is fleshy and indehiscent. 

 Tlie seeds, which are attached to a sutural tro- 

 phosperm, are naked or crowned by a pappus. 

 They contain in a fleshy or horny endosperm a 

 straight embryo. 



This family has been divided by Mr Brown 

 into two : 



1. The true Apocyne^, which have the corolla 

 destitute of appendages, and the pollen powder^-. 

 Such are the genera apocynum, vinca, rauwolfia, 

 arduinia, nerium, &c. 



2. The AscLEPiADE^, the corolla of which is 

 furnished with an appendage, and the pollen in 

 solid masses, as in the orchideie. Such are the 

 genera asdepias, Jioya, cynanchum, &c. 



Their properties are acrid, stimulating, or 

 narcotic, frequently highly poisonous. Nux 

 vomica is the seed of a species of strychnos of 

 that name. The seed of cerbera tanghin is a 

 violent poison, as is that of many other species. 



