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DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



This extensive family consists of about 1500 species, 

 natives chiefly of the tropics. They are generally of a 

 weedy nature, and of no special use to man ; many are, 

 however, used in medicine in their respective countries. 

 Some have handsome flowers, such as Justicia, Cyrtanihera^ 

 Thunhergia, Aphelandra, Ruellia, Meyenia, Hexacentris, 

 &c., and on that account are cultivated in the hothouses 

 of this country. In Europe it is represented by Acan- 

 thus spinosus and A. mollis^ hardy perennials, the leaf of 

 which is the adopted pattern for the architecture of the 

 Corinthian capital. Ruellia tinctoria, a native of Assam and 

 other parts of India, where it is caUed " Room," is probably 

 the same as E. indigotica, a native of China. They afford a 

 blue dye equal to indigo, which is obtained by maceration of 

 the stalks and leaves in water, and is extensively used in 

 India and China for dyeing all manner of cloth. 



The Gloxinia Family. 



(Gesxerace^.) 



Erect or trailing fruticuls, frutlets, or herbs, often with 

 tuberous or scaly root-like stems (lepicorms). Leaves simple, 

 opposite, or whorled. Flowers solitary, or in racemes, or 

 panicles. Corolla spreading or tubular, showy. Fruit cap- 

 sular, or berry-like with many seeds. 



This family, which probably consists of nearly 300 

 species, is widely distributed, being found chiefly in the 

 tropics ; but some beyond, as Streptocarpus in South 

 Africa, Fieldia in New South Wales, and Ramondia pyre- 

 niaca in Europe. Tropical America abounds in species of 

 Gesneria, Gloxinia, and Achimenes, while in the East they are 

 represented by ^schynanthus, Didyinocarpus, Chirita, and 

 many others well known as beautiful flowers in our green- 

 houses, for which only the family is worthy of special notice, 

 as they possess no useful qualities. 



