RUTACE^E. 189 



is much used by the natives ; and the fruit of the P. atlantica, found in 

 Africa, is in general request among the Arabs as an article of food. 



Order 31.— RUTACEiE.— De Candolle. 



Calyx in 4-5 divisions. Petals sometimes wanting, or as many as divisions of the 

 calyx, or combined into a monopetalous corolla; aestivation usually twisted, sometimes a 

 little valvular. Stamens equal in number to the petals, or twice or thrice as many, or 

 fewer by abortion, hypogynous, on the outside of a disk surrounding the ovary, and free 

 or combined with the base of the corolla. Ovary sessile or stipulate, its lobes equal in 

 number to the petals, or fewer ; style single, sometimes divided at base into as many 

 parts as there are lobes; stigma simple or dilated. Fruit of several capsules, either 

 firmly united or more or less distinct. Seeds 2 or solitary, with a testaceous integument ; 

 embryo with or without albumen ; cotyledons variable. 



The Rutaceae are trees, shrubs, or rarely herbs, with exstipulate, opposite 

 or alternate simple or pinnate leaves, covered with pellucid, resinous dots. 

 They are found in most parts of the world, but are most common in Austra- 

 lia, South America, and Southern Africa. 



They are characterized by great bitterness, and furnish many articles of 

 much importance as remedial agents. Besides those to be noticed particu- 

 larly, the following have been employed in medicine. Dictamnus albus was 

 at one time in much repute in the treatment of fevers, the nervous affections, 

 scrofula, &c. Storck speaks of it in the highest terms as a stomachic and 

 febrifuge. It was also employed as an anthelmintic. It abounds so much in 

 volatile oil, that in warm evenings the emanations from it can be set on fire. 

 The barks of several of the South American Rutacese are known under the 

 name of Quina, and are used as substitutes for cinchona. Among these is 

 that of the Esenbeckia febrifuga, employed in Brazil and thought as powerful 

 as cinchona. Another bark of the same country is that of the Ticorea febri- 

 fuga, which is said by St. Hilaire [PI. usuel. Bras., lib. 4), to be a very 

 active antiperiodic. The same writer also says that the Hortia brasiliensis is 

 employed for the same purpose, but is not as powerful. 



RuTA.—Imw. 



Sepals 3-5 persistent. Petals equal in number to sepals, unguiculate. Stamens twice 

 as many as petals, with an equal number of glands at base. Pericarp somewhat globose 

 lobed. 



The genus Ruta contains several herbaceous and somewhat shrubby spe- 

 cies, which are very closely allied to each other, and probably are possessed 

 of the same physical qualities. None of them are natives of the American 

 continent. 



R. graveolens, Linn. — Leaves supra-decompound; leaflets oblong, the terminal one 

 obovate. Petals entire, or a little toothed. 



Linn., Sp. PL 523 ; Woodville ii. 483 ; Stephenson and Churchill, ii. 71 ; 

 Rafinesque, Med. Flor. ii. 75. 



Common Names. — Rue ; Common Rue. 



Foreign Names. — Rue, Fr.; Ruta, It. ; Raute, Ger. 



