VII. MENISPEEMEiE. 201 



filaments more or less free, or united in a monadelphous column ; anthers various, 

 free or united, usually extrorse, 1-2-celled, dehiscence longitudinal, transverse, or 

 circular {Stephania). Carpels usually 3, rai-ely 6 {Goscinium, Sarcopetalum, Fi- 

 braurea), or 9-12 {Tiliacora, Sciadotenia), or 2 4 {Menispermum) , or 1 {Gissampelos, 

 Oyclea, Stephania) ; styles terminal, simple or lobed, often becoming basilar from the 

 curvature of the ovary ; ovules solitary ' in the carpels, half-anatropous, peltately 

 attached to the ventral suture of the carpel, or very rarely anatropous ; micropyle 

 superior, chalaza facing the base of the ovary. Ripe carpels drupaceous, sessile, or 

 stipitate ; scar of style subterminal, excentric, or more often sub-basal ; endocarp 

 ■ straight, or «ften curved like a horse-shoe, with its ventral surface intruded as a 

 hemispherical, peltate, or flattened projection, to which the seed is ventrally 

 attached. Seed of the form of the cavity, concave or furrowed on its ventral surface ; 

 testa thin, membranous ; albumen more or less copious, sometimes ruminate {Ana- 

 mirta, Ahuta, &c.), or {Puchygone, Bctryopsis, Tridisia, &c.). Embeto usually 

 curved, rarely straight (Anomospermum) ; radicle facing the scar of the style ; cotyle- 

 dons linear and contiguous, or large and thict, or foliaceous and divaricate. 



, PRINCIPAL GENEEA. 



Aspidocarya. Parabsena. Tinospora. Jateorhiza. Anamirta. 



Coscinium. Tiliacora. I^imacia. *Cocculus. Menispermum. 



Stephania. * Gissampelos. Oyclea. Pachygone. Hyperbasna. 



Tricliaia. Fibraurea. Centitaxis. Antitaxis. Burasaia. 



Menispennece are closely allied to Anonacece, Lardkahahee, Berherideai, and 'ScMzandreee. They are 

 connected with LardimbalecB by their hypopetalism, two-seriate sepals and petals, usually monadelphous 

 stamens, extrorse anthers, distinct and fleshy carpels, woody twining stem, alternate exstipulate and 

 sometimes compound leaves {Burasaia), and diclinous racemed flowers ; but in Lardizahalece the carpels 

 nearly always contain several ovules scattered over the walls of the ovary, and the embryo is minute, at 

 the base of a very abundant horny albumen. Berheridecs are similarly related, but differ in their g flowers, 

 free filaments, the dehiscence of their anthers, their solitary carpel, erect stem, penninerved leaves, 

 &c. Anonacecs are connected with Menispermete by their woody stem, alternate and «xstipulate leaves, 

 often diclinous flowers, hypogynous 2-seriate petals, extrorse anthers, free often 1-ovuled and fleshy 

 carpels ; they are distinguished from them by their habit, inflorescence, aromatic odour, rarely climbing 

 stem, penninerved leaves, ruminate albumen, &c. Schizandreee approach Menispermecs in their woody 

 climbing stem, alternate exstipulate leaves, diclinous flowers, several-seriate sepals and petals, extrorse 

 anthers, and free carpels, fleshy when ripe ; they are distinguished by the 2-ovuled ovaries, the straight 

 minute embryo at the base of an abundant albumen, and the penninerved leaves. 



Menispermecs principally inhabit the intertropical regions of both worlds. Few are met with in North 

 America, Western Asia, South Africa and extra-tropical Australia ; none in Europe. 



This family has severaLspecies used in medicine ; some possess a bitter principle in their root, which 

 stimulates the digestive organs; others are acrid and diuretic. Many contain in their herbaceous organs 

 an abundant emollient mucilage. The pericarp of some is narcotic, acrid, and very poisonous. Cocculus 

 palmiitws is a tropical African and Madagascar perennial, whose turnip-shaped root (the Calumba-root of 

 commerce) is one of the most efiieacious of tonics, and prescribed for obstinate colic, dysentery and sick- 

 ness ; it is adulterated with other roots from India and Barbary, which bear its name without having its pro- 

 perties. C. peltatm, of Malabar, and C. Jlavesnens, of the Moluccas, are the best substitutes for it. Among 

 the Brazilian Menispermeee with a bitter tonic root, are Cocculus platyphylhis, cinerascens, and Cissampelus 



' Two in Fibrfiurca, of which one alone is further developed. — En. 



