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386 



which falls off as the fruit ripens, while a 

 small portion remains as a circular rim 

 around the base of the fruit ; the corolla 

 is funnel-shaped and plaited. The fruit is 

 a capsule with four compartments and 

 four valves. 



The best known plant of this genus is 

 the common Thorn Apple, D. Stramonium, 

 which springs up in a half wild state on 

 the borders of cultivated fields, rubbish 

 heaps, &c, in this country, and is found in 

 similar situations in all the warmer parts 

 of the globe. It is a coarse strong-smel- 

 ling annual, growing one or two feet high, 

 with widely-spreading forked branches, 

 and large ovate leaves with irregularly- 

 waved or sinuately-toothed margins. The 

 flowers are large, placed on short stalks 

 arising from the forks of the stem; the 

 calyx is tubular and angular ; the corolla 

 is double the length of the calyx, funnel- 

 shaped, with a large plaited five-toothed 

 limb, generally of a pure white colour, but 

 sometimes in hot climates pink or purple ; 

 the capsule is ovate, of the size of a wal- 

 nut, somewhat four-celled, bursting by 

 four valves, which are covered with stout 

 triangular spines, whence the name Thorn 

 Apple. The poisonous principle of this 

 plant is an alkaline crystalline substance 

 called daturin. The effects produced by 

 medicinal or poisonous doses of Stramo- 

 nium are similar to those induced by 

 belladonna, but to this is added a certain 

 degree of acridity and of anodyne power 

 not possessed by the other plant. Stramo- 

 nium has been found beneficial in neu- 

 ralgia, epilepsy, mania, &c. ; while in some 

 cases of asthma relief has been experien- 

 ced from smoking the leaves. 



D.fastuusa, a common Indian plant, is 

 possessed of properties similar to those of 

 stramonium, and is employed by the na- 

 tive doctors for the relief of rheumatic 

 and other painful affections. The seeds 

 are used in India and China to stupefy or 

 even poison an enemy. D. alba or D. Met el, 

 also an Indian plant, produces similar ef- 

 fects. The Rajpoot mothers are said to 

 smear their breasts with the juice of the 

 leaves, so as to poison their newly-born 

 female infants. It has been conjectured 

 that the seeds of D. Stramoniumwere used 

 by the priests of Apollo at Delphi to pro- 

 duce those frantic ravings which were 

 called prophecies, a suggestion which de- 

 rives some support from the fact ' that in 

 the temple of the Sun, in the city of Sago- 

 mozo (.Peru ?), the seeds of the Floripondio, 

 D. sanguinea, are used for a similar pur- 

 pose.' The Peruvians also prepare an in- 

 toxicating beverage from the seeds, which j 

 induces stupefaction and furious delirium | 

 if partaken of in large quantities. The | 

 Arabs of central Africa are said by Lieut. 

 Burton to dry the leaves, the flowers, and 

 the rind of the rootlet, which is con- 

 sidered the strongest preparation, and 

 smoke them in a common bowl, or in a 

 water-pipe. It is esteemed by them a 

 sovereign remedy for asthma and influ- 

 enza, and although they do not use it like 

 the Indian Datura poisoners, accidents 



nevertheless occur from its narcotic pro- 

 perties. See Brugmansia. [M. T. M.] 



DAUBENTONIA. A genus of bushy 

 plants of the pea family, comprising three 

 species found in Texas and Buenos Ayres. 

 They are chiefly remarkable for their curi- 

 ous quadrangular pods, which are three to 

 four inches long, stalked, pointed, and 

 fivrnished with wings along the angles. 

 The only other genus with four-angled 

 pods nearly related to this is Piseulia, 

 which has unequally pinnate leaves ; while 

 here there is no odd leaflet, but the leaves 

 are made up of ten to twelve pairs of ob- 

 long leaflets, each about an inch in length. 

 The red or yellow flowers, a good deal like 

 those of the laburnum, are borne on axil- 

 lary racemes shorter than the leaves. D. 

 jmnicea is a common plant on the banks 

 of the Uraguay, and in various parts of 

 Banda Oriental and Rio Grande, where it 

 grows into a large handsome shrub with 

 leaves like those of the false acacia, and 

 bears abundant racemes of brilliant red 

 flowers, between cherry and orange-colour. 

 The genus is named in honour of M. Dau- 

 benton,an eminent French naturalist and 

 physician. [A. A. B.] 



DAUBENTA. A genus of one or two 

 species of bulbous Liliacece from the Cape 

 of Good Hope. D. aurea, the typal spe- 

 cies, has a pair of oblong leaves seated 

 close to the earth, and in their sinus a ses- 

 sile umbel of yellow flowers, whose peri- 

 anth is tubulose with a two-lipped limb, 

 both lips being three-toothed, the upper 

 short, the lower one larger in the ray 

 flowers and depauperated in those of the 

 centre or disk. There are six stamens with 

 unequal declinatefilaments,somewhat join- 

 ed at the base ; and a filiform style with a 

 capitate stigma. The genus is dedicated 

 to Prof. Daubeny of Oxford. [T. M.] 



DAUCOSMA. A North American genus 

 of Umbelliferce, represented by an annual 

 herb, with the odour of the wild carrot, 

 whence its name. Its distinguishing cha- 

 racters are its petals, which are bent in- 

 wards ; its five-toothed calyx ; and its 

 distinct carpophore or stalk bearing the 

 two halves of the fruit. The first of these 

 characters separates it from Cynosciadium, 

 the second from ^Ethusa, and the last from 

 CEnanthe. [M. T. MJ 



DAUCUS. A genus of Umbelliferce, con- 

 sisting of several species of dwarf weedy- 

 looking plants, having thin deeply-cut 

 pinnatifld leaves ; and flower-stems rising 

 from two to three feet high, and bearing in 

 a terminal umbel a number of small white 

 or rosy-coloured flowers. It is distinguish- 

 ed by the long prickles to its carpels, the 

 prickles being long, flat, and straight. 

 Of one of its species cultivated as a vege- 

 table, there are many varieties. 



The Carrot, D. Carota, is a biennial, a 

 native of Britain, usually found, in its 

 wild state, in light sandy soil. Notwith- 

 standing the great difference between its 

 dry sticky root, and that of the large suc- 

 culent root of our garden Carrot, it is 



