CATALPA. 201 



BIGNONIACE/E. 



Character of the Order. — Trees, climbing or twining shrubs, rarely 

 herbs, with opposite, rarely alternate, simple or compound leaves and 

 showy, often trumpet-shaped flowers. Calyx 2-lipped, 5-cleft or entire. 

 Corolla usually irregular, 4- to 5-lobed, deciduous. Stamens 5, unequal, 

 one or two of them often abortive, inserted upon the corolla. Ovary free ; 

 style long ; stigma 2-lipped. Fruit a 2-valved, often pod-like capsule, di- 

 vided by an expansion of the placenta). Seeds generally numerous and 

 winged. 



An order of chiefly tropical plants, comprising few medicinal sj^ecies, 

 and these possessed of no very striking properties. 



BIGNONIA. 



Bignonia cap reo lata Linne. — Bignonia. 



Description. — Calyx somewhat bell-shaped, the margin wavy or slightly 

 5-toothed. Corolla irregular, bell-shaped, 5-lobed, and rather 2-lipped, 

 orange color, two inches long. Stamens unequal, 2 long, 2 short, and 1 

 rudimentary and sterile. Pod 2-celled, flattened parallel with the valves 

 and partitions. Seeds in two rows, and provided with a membranous 

 wing. 



A shrubby climber, often ascending tall trees. Wood so arranged in 

 the stem as, in transverse section, to show a cross. * Leaves of 2 oblong 

 or ovate leaflets aud a branching tendril, often with a pair of accessory 

 leaves in the axils, resembling stipules. Flowers clustered, the peduncles 

 1-flowered, appearing in April. 



Habitat. — In rich soil from Virginia to Southern Illinois and south- 

 ward. 



Part Used. — The root — not official. 



Constituents. — Unknown. 



Preparations. — Used in decoction. 



Medical Properties and Uses. —Bignonia is said to have been used as a 

 substitute for sarsaparilla. If it have active medicinal properties, they 

 are yet to be ascertained. 



CATALPA. 



Catalpa bignohioides Walter. — Catalpa, Indian Bean. 



Description. — Calyx 2-lipped, corolla bell-shaped, inflated, the border 

 spreading, 4- to 5-lobed, irregular, somewhat 2-lipped, white, tinged witli 

 violet, and dotted with purple and yellow on the throat. Fertile stamens, 

 2 or 4 ; sterile and rudimentary, 1 or 3. Pod one foot long, slender, 

 nearly cylindrical, 2-celled. 



