148 ONAGRACEiE. 



membranes, as chronic bronchitis, cystitis, pyelitis, gonorrhoea, and gleet. 

 Externally, in the form of an ointment, it has been employed successfully 

 in scabies, burns, frost-bites, and indolent ulcers. 



ONAGRACE/E. 



Character of the Order. — Herbs, with simple leaves and commonly 4- 

 merous flowers. Calyx tubular, cohering with the 2- to 4-celled ovary, the 

 limb usually 4-cleft, its lobes valvate in the bud. Petals convolute in 

 the bud, occasionally wanting. Stamens as many, or twice as many, as 

 the lobes of the calyx, and inserted upon the calyx-tube. Style single. 

 Fruit succulent or capsular. 



An order represented in North America by fifteen genera and one hun- 

 dred and forty-five species, mostly unimportant plants. 



EPILOBIUM.— Willow Herb. 



Epilobium angustifolium Linne. — Great Willow Herb. 



Description. — Calyx-tube not prolonged beyond the ovary, the limb 4- 

 cleft, deciduous. Corolla : petals 4, obovate, unguiculate, pink-purple. 

 Stamens 8. Capsule linear, 4-sided, 4-celled, 4-valved, many-seeded, the 

 seeds with a tuft of long hairs at the end. 



An herbaceous perennial. Stem erect, 4 to 7 feet high, simple, mostly 

 glabrous. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, nearly entire, or with slightly undu- 

 late margins. Flowers large and showy, in a long spicate raceme, appear- 

 ing from July till September. 



Habitat. — From the mountains of North Carolina northward and west- 

 ward. Very common from Pennsylvania and New York northward. 



Tarts Used. — The leaves and root — not official. 



Constituents. — Unknown. 



Preparations. — There are none. The plant is said to yield its virtues 

 to water or alcohol. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — Willow herb is said to be" tonic, astrin- 

 gent, demulcent, and emollient. An infusion of the leaves will be found 

 beneficial in chronic diarrhoea, dysentery, leucorrhoea, menorrhagia, and 

 uterine hemorrhage, and forms an excellent local application for ophthal- 

 mia, ulcerations of the mouth and throat, and leucorrhoea. The leaves in 

 poultice are a valuable remedy for foul and indolent ulcers " (King). If 

 the plant be really so valuable as the above statement would indicate, it is 

 rather remarkable that its virtues are not better known and appreciated. 



Several other indigenous species of epilobium have been used medic- 

 inally, but without acquiring any reputation. 



