DICOTYLEDONES— COEOLLIFLOE^ 387 



Order 189. Loganiaoe^, the Strychnos Order. — C haracter. 

 Shrubs, herbs, or trees. Leaves opposite, entire, stipulate ; the 

 stipules, however, sometimes exist only in the form of a raised 

 line or ridge. Calyx inferior, 4— 5-partite. Corolla regular, 

 4 — 5- or 10-cleft ; cestivation valvate, contorted, or imbricate. 

 Stamens epipetalous, usually equal in number, but sometimes 

 imequal, to the lobes of the corolla ; anthers 2-celled. Ovary 

 2- 3- or 4-celled ; style simple below, and with as many divisions 

 above as there are cells to the ovary ; stigtna simple. Fruit 

 capsular or drupaceous ; placentas axUe, ultimately detached. 

 Seeds usually peltate, sometimes winged, with fleshy or carti- 

 laginous albumen. This order is by no tneans well defined. 



Distribution and Numbers. — Nearly all natives of tropical 

 regions. Illustrative Genera : — Spigelia, Linn. ; Strychnos, 

 Linn. There are about 200 species. 



Properties and Uses. — These plants are almost universally 

 poisonous, acting on the nervous system and producing frightful 

 convulsions. Several have been used in medicine in torpid 

 or paralytic conditions of the muscular systera, and for their 

 valuable tonic, anthelmintic, and other properties ; but they 

 require much caution in their employment, and can generally 

 be only given in very small doses. 



Order 190. Gbntianace.?e, the Gentian Order. — C h a r a c t e r. — 

 Herbs, or rarely shrubs, usually smooth. Leaves generally 

 simple, entire, opposite, sessile, and strongly ribbed ; rarely 

 alternate, or stalked, or compound ; always exstipulate. Flowers 

 regular, solitary and terminal, or in di — tri-ohotomous cymes. 

 Calyx inferior, persistent, usually with 5 divisions, or occasion- 

 ally with 4, 6, 8, or 10. Corolla marcescent, its divisions 

 corresponding in number to those of the calyx ; cestivation 

 imbricate-twisted or induplicate. Stainens as many as the 

 segments of the corolla and alternate with them. Ovary 1-celled, 

 or rarely partially 2-celled from the projection inwards of the 

 placentas ; ovules numerous ; ^j^acemias 2, parietal, anterior and 

 posterior to the axis, and frequently turned inwards ; style 1 ; 

 stigmas 2, right and left of the axis. Fruit capsular, 1 — 2-celled, 

 2-valved, with septicidal dehiscence ; or rarely fleshy and inde- 

 hiscent. Seeds numerous, small ; embryo minute, in the axis 

 of fleshy albumen. 



Diagnosis. — Usually smooth herbs. Leaves exstipulate. 

 Inflorescence definite. Flowers regular, solitary and terminal, 

 or in cymes. Calyx and corolla persistent, with an equal number 

 of lobes. Stamens alternate to the lobes of the corolla, and 



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