THE SEE EST RN FAMILY. 



807 



accidents having occurred through its being ignorantly sold, 

 even in the streets of London, for blackberries. The whole 

 plant is poisonous, but is a useful and powerful medicine when 

 properly used. Like henbane, it has the power of dilating 

 the pupil of the eye. It is also called Dwal, and in olden times 

 Dwal water was a favourite wash with ladies for removing 

 freckles, hence its name " Belladonna," meaning Fair Lady. 



Box Thorn {Lycium barbarum). A twiggy rambling shrub 

 of rapid growth, native of countries bordering on the Medi- 

 terranean. It is often seen covering arbours in cottage 

 gardens in this country. Its leaves resemble those of the 

 Chinese tea tree, which led to its' being brought into notice 

 about one hundred years ago by the then Duke of Argyle as 

 a substitute for tea, for which reason it received the name of 

 the Duke of Argyle's tea tree. 



(NOLANACEiE.) 



This family consists of about thirty species, natives of 

 South America, chiefly Chili. They were originally consi- 

 dered to belong to Solanacese, from which they have been 

 separated on account of their plaited corolla, and in having 

 5 or more distinct carpels united to a single pistil. The 

 principal representatives of the family are Nolana prostrata 

 and N. paradoxa^ pretty garden annuals, with blue and 

 yellow flowers ; also Alona coslestis, a frutlet with showy 

 pale blue flowers. They possess no special properties. 



The Sebesten Family. 



(CORDIACE^.) 



Hard-wodded trees or shrubs, having simple alternate 

 generally rough leaves. Flowers usually in more or less 

 one-sided panicles, cymes, or spike-like. Corolla 5 -cleft, the 

 lobes imbricate. Fruit a drupe with 4 or more cells. 



Nearly 200 species are enumerated as belonging to this 

 family, chiefly natives of tropical countries. A few only an 



x3 



