580 



CLVII. SOLAJ^TE^. 



Lycium, 

 Flower. 



Lycium, 

 Flower cut vertically. 



Ly&ium. 

 Diagram. 



Lycium, 

 2-labiate calyx (mag.). 



[To these tribes should be added : — 

 Teibe V. NoLANEJi. — See order Nolaneji, p. 574. 



Tribe VI. Gkabowskie^. — Carpels 2, 2-3-celled, united into a 2-partite or a 4-celled 

 OTary ; ovules solitary in each cell. QrabowsTda, 



Teibk VII. Teiguierbj!. Ovary 2-4-cened ; ovules few in each cell. Fruit sub-glabrous, 

 membranous, 2-4-celled, indehiscent ; placentas central, connate. Embryo spiral. (Spain.) 



Triguiera. 



Teibe VIII. CESTEiNEiE. — See order Cesteineje, p. 582> 



Teibe IX. Retzie^. — Ovary 2-celled ; fruit 2-celled, 2-valv6d. Seeds few ; placentas 

 on the m.iddle of the septum. Lenchostema, Retzia, 



Tribe X. MetteenichieJ!. — Ovary 2-celled. Fruit a coriaceous 2-celled capsule, septi- 

 fragal at the top, few-seeded. Seeds ascending, narrow, linear. (Tropical America^) 



Matter nicliia; Sessea, — Ed.] 



We have pointed out the affinities of Solanete with Conuolvulaceee (which see). They are near Pole- 

 v^oniaceee iu insertion, isostemony and imbrication of their corolla, capsular fruit and albuminous embiyo ; 

 but Pohmaniacea hare a 3-celled ovary, axile placentation and straight embryo. The affinity is much 

 closer between Solanece and ScrophtdarinerB ; in both the ovary has two many-ovuled antero-posterior cells, 

 the fruit is capsular or fleshy, the embryo is albuminous, and in some Scrophularinece it is bent as in 

 Solanece, The diagnosis rests on the irregularity, the Kstiyation and the anisostemony of the corolla in 

 Scrophularinece ; and even this last difference disappears in some genera where there is a rudimentary 

 fifth stamen. Solanece are mostly intertropical ; they become rare in temperate regions, two species only 

 {Solantim nigrum and /X Dulcamara) attaining high latitudes. 



The medicinal properties of this family reside in narcotic alkaline substances combined with an acrid 

 principle. The principal medicinal Solanece are Belladonna, Stramonium and Henbane ; of these the roots 

 and especially the leaves of Atropa Belladonna contain the alkaloid atropine, a most efficacious remedy 

 for neuralgia and rheumatism. Belladonna further has a specific action on the muscular fibre, and is 

 hence employed to dilate the pupil in diseases of the eyes, and to facihtate respiration in asthma and 

 whooping-cough. The Mandragora, a genus allied to Belladonna, arid possessing the same properties, was 

 formerly used by sorcerers to produce hallucination in their dupes. The Henbane {Hyoscyamus niger) 

 owes its narcotic virtues, which are, however, less energetic than those of Belladonna, to the alkaloid 

 Jiyoscyamine. Stramonium seeds (Datura Stramonium) [and those of D, Tatula and Metel] contain the 

 alkaloid daturine ; these are highly narcotic, and were formerly employed by magicians to produce fan- 

 tastic visions, and by thieves to stupefy their victims. 



The Ameiic4n genus Nicotiuna cont.iins several species used for Tobacco; the chief of these. 



