88 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



blossoms early in the spring, but continues in flower until July. The parts 

 used are the roots ; these should be gathered in the autumn, and carefully 

 dried. They are of a bright golden colour, whence the common name of 

 the plant. 



Medical Uses. — The Coptis is a pure and powerful bitter, without the least 

 astringency, somewhat resembling that of Quassia, but not as powerful, and 

 far more palatable. It imparts its virtues to water as well as to alcohol. It may 

 be used in all cases where a bitter tonic is admissible. It has been much 

 employed in the Eastern States as a local application in aphthous and other 

 ulcerations of the mouth. Dr. Bigelow, however, is of opinion that its efficacy 

 in these complaints has been overrated, but the concurrent testimony of other 

 writers is in its favour. It is also used as a stomachic in dyspepsia and loss 

 of appetite; in such cases it is given in the form of tincture. Another spe- 

 cies, the C. teeta, peculiar to India, is much esteemed among the natives as a 

 tonic and stomachic, and from the experiments made with it by Mr. Twining, 

 it would appear to justify the high character that has been bestowed upon it ; 

 it very closely resembles the C. trifolia in its sensible qualities and medicinal 

 properties. ( Trans. Med. and Phys. Soc. Calcutta, viii.) 



Nigella. — Tournefort. 



Sepals 5, petaloid, coloured, deciduous. Petals small, 5 — 10, bilabiate, with a nectari- 

 ferous claw. Stamens many. Ovaries 5 — 10, united at base, with long simple styles. 

 Carpels more or less united, opening- by the ventral suture, many-seeded. 



A small genus, with multifid, capillary leaves often surrounding the flowers 

 like an involucre. The seeds of some of the species are aromatic and sub- 

 acrid, and were formerly used as a substitute for pepper, and also as a car- 

 minative. It is supposed by Royle that a pungent seed employed by the 

 Affghans in their curries is derived from a plant of this genus, and that it is 

 the Black Cummin spoken of in the Scriptures. 



Delphinium. — Linn. 



Sepals 5, caducous, petaloid; the upper one with a spur at base. Petals 4, irregular, 

 the two upper with a spur-like appendage at base, contained in the spur of the calyx. 

 Ovaries 1-5. Pericarps follicular, many-seeded. 



This beautiful and extensive genus consists of herbaceous annual, or peren- 

 nial plants with erect branched stems, and much-divided leaves. The flowers, 

 which are generally showy, are in terminal racemes and mostly of a blue 

 colour. Many species are natives of North America, and are known under 

 the name of Lark-spur. 



D. consolida, hi nn. — Stem erect, almost glabrous, flowers few in a loose raceme; bracts 

 shorter than the pedicels ; carpels smooth. 



Linn. Sp. PI. 748; Eng. Bot. 1839; Torrey and Gray Flor. N. A. i. 

 30 ; Pursh. Flor. ii. 372. 



Common names. — Lark-spur, Stagger-weed, &c. 



Description. — Stem erect, cylindrical, divaricate. Leaves sessile, divided into linear 

 segments, usually bifurcate at top. The flowers are blue, forming loose, few-flowered 

 terminal racemes, on rigid peduncles which are furnished with two small alternate bracts. 

 Nectaries one-leaved, with an ascending anterior spur, about the length of the corolla. 

 Carpels follicular, smooth, containing numerous black or blackish-brown seeds, which are 

 hirsute. Annual, herbaceous. 



