514 EUBIACE^ — ^VALERIAN ACE^. 



and Minas Geraes. Some of the species of Psychotria, Gephadis, and 

 Randia, are said to act so violently as to produce poisonous effects. 



Among the astringent plants of the order may be noticed Uncaria 

 Gambier, which supplies a kind of Catechu, known by the name of 

 Gambier. Of the plants furnishing articles of diet, the most import- 

 ant is Goffea arabica, a native of Arabia and of the borders of Abyssinia, 

 which furnishes the Coffee of commerce. The fruit is succulent, and 

 the horny albumen of the seed is the part used as a beverage. It 

 contains a bitter principle, denominated Caffein, which is identical 

 with that got from Tea. The import of Coflfee into the United King- 

 dom, in 1870, was 179,901,864 lbs. The seeds of some other plants 

 of the order, as species of Galium, have been used as substitutes for 

 Coffee. Among the plants yielding dyes, the most interesting is Bubia 

 tinctoria, the root of which is the Madder of commerce. It contains 

 three volatile colouring matters — madder purple, orange, and red. 

 The latter is in the form of crystals, having a fine orange-red colour, 

 and called Alizarine. This is the substance which yields the turkey- 

 red dye. Bubia Munjista (cordifoUa), Munjeet, is also used for a 

 similar purpose. The import of Madder into Britain in 1870 was 

 37,820 cwts. ; of madder root 132,749 cwts. ; and of munjeet 2749 

 cwts. Oldenlandia umbellata is employed in the East Indies as a sub- 

 stitute for Madder, and so is the root of Morinda citrifoUa, under the 

 name of Sooranjee. The latter yields a peculiar colouring matter, 

 called Morindine. It is extracted from the bark of the root, and is 

 procured in the form of minute acioular crystals of a fine yellow colour. 

 It is incapable of producing colours with alum and iron mordants, but 

 with turkey-red mordant it produces a dark red. Many of the plants 

 of this order, especially in the section Cinchonese, have very showy 

 and fragrant flowers. The species of Musscenda and Galcophylhim are 

 remarkable on account of one of their sepals becoming large and showy, 

 Asperula odorata, Woodruff, gives out its fragrance when dried. 



Order 95. — Valeeianacb^, the Valerian Family. (Monopet. 

 Epigyn.) Calyx superior, its limb being either membranous or pap- 

 pose. Corolla gamopetalous, inserted into the top of the ovary, tubu- 

 lar, 3-4-5-lobed, sometimes gibbous or spurred at the base. Stamens 

 1-5, adherent to the corolla and alternate with its lobes. Ovary 

 inferior, 1-3-celled ; ovule solitary, pendulous, style filiform ; stigmas 

 1-3. Fruit dry, indehiscent, crowned by the limb of the calyx, 1-celled, 

 in consequence of 2 cells being abortive. Seed solitary, pendulous, 

 exalbuminous ; embryo straight ; radicle superior. — Herbs, with oppo- 

 site exstipulate leaves, and cymose inflorescence. They are found in 

 temperate climates. Authors give 9 genera and 300 species. Ex- 

 amples — Patrinia, Valeriana, Centranthus, ValerianeUa, Fedia. 



The plants belonging to the order are strong-scented or aromatic, 

 and some of them have been used as bitter tonics, anthelmintics, 



