LABIATE — VEEBENACEiE. 555 



of the species of Salvia there are spiral cells, fhe fibres of which, like 

 those of the seeds of Collomia, uncoil when moistened with water, and 

 form an interesting microscopic object. Salvia officinalis, common 

 sage, has been used in the form of tea as a stomachic. What are 

 called Sage-apples, are galls produced, by the puncture of insects, on 

 Salvia pomifera. The roots of ■Ocymum tuberosum are said to be escu- 

 lent. Hyptis membranacea, one of the Brazilian Labiates, attains the 

 height of 20 or 30 feet. 



Order 131. — VbebenacbjE, the Vervain Family. (Monopet. 

 ^ypog.) Calyx tubular, persistent, inferior. Corolla monopetalous, 

 tubular, hypogynous, deciduous, limb usually irregular; aestivation 

 imbricated. Stamens usually 4, didynamous, rarely equal, sometimes 

 2. Ovary free, 2-4-celled ; ovules usually 4, erect or pendulous, 

 anatropal or amphitrOpal ; style 1, terminal; stigma bifid or entire. 

 Fruit nucamentaceous or baccate, composed of 2 or 4 achsenia united. 

 Seeds 1-4 ; albumen or fleshy ; embryo straight ; radicle either in- 

 ferior or superior. — Trees or shrubs, rarely herbs, with opposite or 

 alternate, exstipulate leaves. The order has been divided into three 

 sub-orders : — 1. Myoporinese, anthers 2-celled, seed pendulous, radicle 

 superior, seeds albuminous, leaves alternate ; natives of the southern 

 parts of America and Africa, and of Australia. 2. Verbenese (fig. 

 258, p. 178), anthers 2-celled, seed erect, radicle inferior, seeds exal- 

 buminous, leaves opposite ; natives both of the tropical and temperate 

 regions of America, and found also in Asia and in Europe. 3. Sela- 

 gineae, anthers 1 -celled, seed pendulous, radicle superior, seeds albu- 

 minous, leaves in alternate fascicles, or sub-opposite, narrow ; natives 

 chiefly of the Cape of Good Hope, but some are European. There 

 are 75 known genera and upwards of 800 species. Examples — Myo- 

 porum, Avicennia, Verbena, Vitex, Tectona, Selago, Globularia. 



Many of the plants of the order are fragrant and aromatic, some 

 are bitter, tonic, and astringent, others are acrid. None of them 

 occur in the British Pharmacopceias. Aloysia citriodora, Sweet-scented 

 Verbena or Lemon-plant, is commonly cultivated for its fragrance. 

 In the leaves Dr. Murchison has noticed peculiar glands containing 

 oily matter. The species of Avicennia have adventitious roots like 

 the Mangrove. The bark oi- Avicennia tomentosa is used in Brazil for 

 tanning. Tectona grandis is the Teak-tree of India, the wood of which 

 is very hard and durable, and is used for shipbuilding. The trunk of 

 the tree in Eastern forests sometimes attains a height of two hundred 

 feet, and its leaves are twenty inches long by sixteen broad. Gleroden- 

 dron leaves when bruised are employed to kill vermin on cattle in India. 

 The twigs form toothpicks. Clerockndron Thomsonm, and its variety 

 Balfourianum, are beautiful climbing plants in hot-houses, on account of 

 the contrast between their scarlet flowers and white calyx. Myoporum 

 platycarpum of Australia exudes a saccharine matter from its stem. 



