CISTACEjE. 137 



Order 12.— RESEDACE^.— Be Candolle. 



Sepals 4-6, somewhat connected at base, persistent. Petals 4-6, or by abortion fewer, 

 broad, fleshy, having lacerated appendages at the back, unequal. Stamens definite, in- 

 serted on a flat, rounded, hypogynous disk ; filaments erect; anthers 2-celled, opening 

 longitudinally. Ovary sessile, 1-celled, 3-4 lobed, usually with 3-6 parietal placenta ; 

 stigmas 3, glandular, sessile. Fruit dry and membranous, rarely succulent, opening at 

 the apex ; or apocarpous, with empty carpels round a central placenta. Seeds numerous, 

 reniform, smooth or pitted ; embryo taper, arcuate ; albumen none, or scarcely any. 



Herbaceous plants or rarely small shrubs, with alternate, entire or pin- 

 nately-divided leaves, and small, gland-like stipules. They are all natives 

 of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean, with the exception of a very 

 few species, one of which is peculiar to California. It is difficult to ascertain 

 the exact station of this order, but as it agrees with the Capparidaceae in its 

 seeds, hypogynous disk, parietal placentae and curved embryo, I have fol- 

 lowed Lindley in placing it in the present group instead of the following. 



The species are unimportant in a medicinal point of view, though some of 

 them were formerly esteemed as endowed with considerable powers. The 

 genus Reseda derives its name from a plant noticed by Pliny (lib. xxvii. c. 

 12), which was used as a topical calmant to abscesses, pronouncing at the same 

 time the words reseda morbus. The R. luteola or Weld, a native of Europe and 

 naturalized in some parts of the United States, affords a yellow dye for wool- 

 len stuffs, and has been known for a long time, being noticed by Virgil under 

 the name of Croceum luteum. It was formerly considered to be diaphoretic 

 and alexipharmic, and was employed as an antidote in snake-bites, and is 

 also stated to be a powerful vermifuge, and to be the basis of Darbon's reme- 

 dy against the taenia. The R. phyteuma is said by the old writers to be 

 aphrodisiac, but is used as a garden vegetable by the modern Greeks. Le- 

 mery [Diet. 715), speaks of the R. sesamoides as a good vulnerary and 

 detersive. The most celebrated of these plants is the R. odorata, so familiar 

 under the name of Mignonette, for its fragrancy. Tne properties of the other 

 species of this order have not been ascertained, but it is probable that they 

 are inert, and of little value. 



Order 13.— CISTACE^.— Lindley. 



Sepals 5, persistent; two outer, small or wanting; three inner, imbricated. Petals 5, 

 or by abortion 3 or more, caducous, hypogynous. Stamens indefinite, seldom few, dis- 

 tinct, hypogynous ; anthers short, innate. Ovary of 3-5 connected carpels ; styles and 

 stigmas generally united. Pericarp 3-5 valved, 1-celled, with parietal placentae, or 3-5 

 celled, with dissepiments arising from the centre of the valves. Seeds few or numerous. 

 Embryo nearly straight or spirally convolute. 



The Cistaceae are herbaceous or small shrubs with simple, and generally- 

 entire leaves, which are opposite or alternate, the lowest always opposite, and 

 in many cases having stipules. The flowers are red, white, and yellow, and 

 are in some cases large and showy, but at others, very small and inconspi- 

 cuous. They are found in most parts of the world, but the larger proportion 

 of the species are natives of temperate climates. 



The medical properties of the order are slight and unimportant ; some of 

 the species, however, furnish a resinous, somewhat balsamic product, parti- 

 cularly the Cistus creticus, from which the Ladanum is obtained. The 

 Cochlospermum gossypium of India affords a gum called Kuteera, used 

 as a substitute for Tragacanth. A decoction of the roots of C. insigne is 



