iro NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



principles which make them tannic, tinctorial, tonic, and stomachic 

 plants, is another proof of the little uniformity of properties which 

 may be observed in a group otherwise perfectly natural. Species of 

 ' Phyllanthus are very often tonic and astringent, for example, P. 

 Niruri, squmnifoKus Spreng., retusus Dennst, oUongifolms, Dennst, 

 Bischoffia javanica ^ Bl., Myrdbolans emhlics ; ^ many Indian Amanoa of 

 the section5r«£?e/2'«,^whose bark. rich in tannin, is employed; Securinega 

 Leucopyrus^ Excoecaria gumnensis'^ (fig. 207-209) of tropical America, 

 and especially an allied species jE'. Hilariana,^ used for tartaing skins ; 

 Alchornea latifoUa^ fvom the Antilles, employed ia diseases of the diges- 

 tive organs and falsely considered to produce Alcornoque bark ; ^ many 

 species of Mabea ^ from Brazil, having a bitter, astringent, febrifuge 

 bark; Trewia nudiflora,^ the bark of whose roots is prescribed in Mala- 

 bar for gout and rheumatic affections ; Echinus pMKppinensis,^'^ whose 

 roots and fruit serve for the topical treatment of contusions, pains, 

 etc. ; the Asiatic Macaranga^^ of the section Mappa^ rich in tannin 

 and used for the preparation of leather ; and finally Acalypha Mspida^ '^ 

 whose flowers are considered ia India as a specific for diarrhoea. 

 The bitterness and astringency are combined with a large proportion 

 of aromatic, stimulant, febrifuge principles in species of Cascarilla^^ 

 whose botanical history has been so long covered with obscurity, all 

 the barks of American species of the genus Croton^ species from the 



1 Bl. Bijdi: 1168.— M. Arg. Prodr. 478.— ^ Especially in Guiana, M. Firiri Aubl. and 



Sti/lodiscus trifoliaiiuJiBiss, PI. Jav. Sar. 133, t. Taquari Aubl. commonly called Pipe wood and 



29. — Mieroelus Sceperianus Wight. — Andrachne Calmut wood, because tliese plants (which yield 



trifoliata RoxB. a little caoutchouc) have hollow branches used 



^ See p. 164, note 5. to make pipe stems; and in Brazil, M. Jistuli- 



' Particularly J3. spinosa W. and scandens W. fera Mart. Reis. et in Linncea (1830), 39. — M. 



(KosE-MTH. op. cit. 838). A. collina H. Bn. ferrugina Bbnth. {Canudo de Pito), used for the 



{Euphorb. 582 ; — Cluytia colHtia'Rox-B. PI. Coram. treatment of fevers and stomach complaints, 



ii. 37, t. 69 i—Zeiidieropsis orUcularin M. Arg. s L. Spec. ed. 3, App. 1661. — M. Aro. Prodr. 



Prodr. 609), has fruits whose pericarp is pre- 953.— T. macrophylla Both. — Tetragastris ossea 



sorihed for several affections of the digestive Gj^rtn. Fruet. ii. 130, t \tl9.—Eottlera Eope- 



organs ; more than a small dose is said to be riana Bl. — CanscU Eheed. Bort. Malah. i. 76, 



very poisonous. t. 42. 



* Maprounea guiaiiensis Aubl. Guian. ii. 895, '" See p. 164, note 8. 



t. 3i2.~JEgopricuin betuUmim L. Fil. Suppl. " Principally M. Tanarius (M. Asa. Prodr. 



i\Z.—StilH iaguianensis H. Bn. ^Euphorb. 521 997, n. 25;-~Mappa tanarius Bl. Sijdr. 624; 



Mapronnicr of Guiana). The root is used —M. fomentosa Bl. i—M. molnccana BssTS. ;— 



for the treatment of diseases of the stomach. M. glabra A. Juss. -j—Mieinus Tanarius L. •— 



The leaves, taimic, dye black. Oroton lacciferus Blanco, neo L.). 



' Stillingia Silariana H. Bn. in Adansonia, v. " Burm. Fl. Ind. 303, t. 61, fig. 1 (nee W.). 



ZZ1.— Maprounea brasiliensis A. S. H. PI. Us. — M. Aro. Prodr. 815, n. 3S.—Catwm spici- 



Pros. t. 65.— M. Arg. Prodr. 1191. Jorus Eoxb. Fl. h.d. iii. 760. 



s ^vi. Prodr. 98.— Hetn. ^««. Gew. 10, t.42. i3 Goie. op. cit: ii. 361.— H. Bn. in Diet. 



— M. Arg. Prodr. 908. Eiwycl. So. MM. xii, 756, 



' See Mist. Plants, ii. 379, note 7. 



