MINT FAMILY 89 



rical tetramerous or pentamerous flowers, and capsular, baccate or dru- 

 paceous fruit. They are natives of temperate or cold climates. 



Leaves have a bitter astringent taste due to glucosides. Blossoms 

 bell-shaped or wen-shaped. 



Family 13. Oleace^. — A family of gamopetalous erector climb- 

 ing shrubs, trees, or rarely herbs — the olive family — with opposite, 

 simple or pinnate leaves and perfect or unisexual flowers with four-lobed 

 calyx, four-cleft corolla, and two or rarely four free stamens. It em- 

 braces 19 genera, and about 300 species, distributed over the warm 

 or temperate regions of the world. 



Official drug Part used Botanical name 



Oleum OlivEe Fixed oil Olea europea 



Manna Saccharine exudate Fraxinus ornus 



Family 14. Scrophulariace^. — A family of gamopetalous plants 

 — the iigwort family — chiefly herbs with various forms of leaves and 

 inflorescence, the flowers distinguished by having a persistent five- 

 lobed calyx and a two-lipped corolla with four didynamous stamens, 

 and often one staminode inserted on its tube, and the fruit a two- 

 celled, usually many-seeded capsule with axile placenta. It embraces 

 166 genera, and more than 2000 species. Contains bitter, acrid, 

 poisonous principles. 



Official drug Part used Botanical name 



Digitalis' Leaves Digitalis purpurea 



Leptandra Rhizome and roots Veronica virginica 



Unofficial 



Verbascum Leaves Verbascum thapsus 



Family 15. Labiate or Mint Family. — A cosmopolitan family 

 of sympetalous herbs, rarely shrubs, with quadrangular stems, opposite 

 or whorled aromatic leaves, and usually thyrsoid or verticillate clusters 

 of flowers, each with a two-lipped corolla, didynamous or diandrous 

 stamens, and a four-lobed ovary. All of the members of this family 

 are rich in volatile oils. 



