SYNANTHERE/E. 



623 



This family is divided into— 



1. Campanulace.e. — Corolla regular, stamina 

 distinct, capsule with two polysperraous cells, as 

 campanula, phyteuma, prismatocarpus, jasione, 

 &c. 



2. LoBELiACEJ?, Rich.— Corolla irregular, sta- 

 mina united by the anthers, stigma suiTounded 

 by hairs, as lobelia, tysipomia. Sea. 



3. GooDENOviE/E, Brown.— Corolla irregular, 

 stamina free or united by the anthers, stigma 

 surrounded by a kind of cup, a bilocular cap- 

 sule, or a monospermous nut, as goodencmia, 

 euthales, lecAenaultia, &c. 



4. Stylidie.i:, Brown. — Corolla irregular ; two 

 stamina, of which the filaments are confounded 

 with the style, and form a kind of central 

 column; stigma situated between the two 

 anthers ; capsule bilocular, bivalve, as stt/lidium, 

 hiiwenhoehia, &c. 



The roots and young shoots of campanula 

 raptmachts and phi/teuina spicata, are eaten. 

 The lobeliacesB are acrid and frequently poison- 

 ous. Lobelia inflata is a powerful emetic and 

 diaphoretic, but produces great debility. Lobelia 

 longiflora is extremely violent in its operation. 

 The properties of many are vmknown. Several 

 of the genera are ornamental flowers. 



Synanthere^, Rich. Cichoraceos, corymbi- 

 ferm, and ■ a/naroceplialce, Jussieu. Compositce 

 of Authors. This great family is one of the best 

 defined and best characterized in the vegetable 

 kingdom. It comprehends herbaceous plants, 

 shrubs, or even small trees. Their leaves are 

 commonly alternate, rarely opposite. Their 

 flowers, which are generally small, form capitula 

 or calathidia, which are hemispherical, globular, 

 or more or less elongated. Each capitulum is. 

 composed : 1st, Of a common receptacle, thick 

 and sometimes fleshy, convex or concave, which 

 has received the names oi phoranthium and cli- 

 nwnthium; 2dly, Of a common involucre which 

 surrounds the capitulum, and is composed of 

 scales, the form, number, and disposition of 

 which vary in the different genera; JBdly, Of 

 small scales or hairs, which are frequently found 

 on the receptacle at the base of each flower. 

 The flowers which form the capitula are of two 

 kinds: some present a regular, monopetalous 

 funnel-shaped corolla, generally with five regu- 

 lar lobes, and are navciei florets, flosculi ; others 

 liave an irregular corolla, thrown to one side in 

 the form of a strap, and are named semiflorets, 

 semiflosculi. Sometimes the capitula are com- 

 posed exclusively of florets, sometimes exclu- 

 sively of semiflorets, and sometimes their centre 

 is occupied by florets, and their circumference by 

 semiflorets. Each flower presents the following 

 organization: The calyx, which is adherent to 

 the ovary, has its limb entire, membranous, 

 toothed, and formed of scales or hairs ; the cor- 

 olla monopetalous, regular or irregular; five 



stamina with distinct filaments, but with the 

 anthers united, and forming a tube through 

 which passes a simple style, terminated by a 

 bifid stigma. The fruit is an akenium, naked at 

 its summit, or crowned by a membranous mar- 

 gin, small scales, or a tuft of simple or feathery 

 hairs, which is sessile or stipitate. The seed is 

 erect, containing a homotrope embryo, without 

 endosperm. 



This family, which has much engaged the 

 attention of botanists, may be divided into three 

 principal tribes. 



1. The CynakocephaL/E, of which all the 

 flowers aveflosculi, and which have their recep- 

 tacle furnished with numerous hairs or alveolae, 

 the style enlarged, and furnished with hairs 

 under the stigma. Such are the genera cartha- 

 mus, carduus, cynara, ccntaurea, onopordum, &c. 



2. The CicHORACByE, of which all the flowers 

 are semiflosctili. Such are the genera lactuca, 

 cichm'ium, sonclius, Jderacium, prenantlies, &c. 



3. The CoRYMBiPEEJB, of which the capitula 

 are generally composed of flosculi at the centre, 

 and semiflosculi at the circumference, as helian- 

 thus, chrysanthemum, anthemis, matricaria, &c. 



The S3manthere8e are generally bitter, and more 

 or less stimulant and tonic. The cinarocephalso 

 abound in bitter extractive, and many of them 

 have consequently been used as stomachics and 

 tonics ; such as carduus benedictus, c. marianus, 

 &c. Arctium lappa is diaphoretic and diuretic. 

 The young leaves possess little bitterness, and 

 may be used as salad. The seeds are oily and 

 aperient. The cichorace£e have a milky, bitter, 

 narcotic juice, which, when inspissated, resem- 

 bles opium in its action. Lactuca virosa and 

 sylvestris, and cichorium intybus, are more espe- 

 cially remarkable for this narcotic juice. Cul- 

 tivation deprives these plants of their bitter 

 quality, and renders them eatable, as is the case 

 with the common lettuce. Others, by being 

 blanched, are rendered palatable, and are com- 

 mon articles of food. The eorymbiferse resem- 

 ble the cynarocephalae in their properties. Tus- 

 silago farfara, eupatorium perfoliatum, inula 

 helenium, and common chamomile, are stom- 

 achic, stimulant, and tonic. They contain a 

 resinous principle combined with bitter extrac- 

 tive. Others, in which the resinous matter pre- 

 dominates, are used as anthelmintics and eme- 

 nagogues, as artemisia, tanacetum, and santolina. 



CALYCEREiE, Rich. Hcrbaccous plants, bear- 

 ing a considerable resemblance to the scabiosse 

 in their general aspect. Their stem bears alter- 

 nate leaves, often divided and pinnatifid. . The 

 flowers are small, and form globular capitula, 

 sun-ounded by a common involucre. The recep- 

 tacle which bears the flowers is furnished with 

 foliaceous scales, which are sometimes united to 

 the flowers, so as not to be distinct from them. 

 The calyx is.auJierent to the inferior ovary, and 



