338 



DOMESTIC BOTANY. 



more to their glutinous nature causing them to adhere to the 

 coats of the stomach, than to any active poison. 



The Madder Family. 



(Galiace^.) 



Herbs with slender angular stems and whorled leaves. 

 Flowers small, axillary or in spikes or small corymbs. 

 Corolla generally 4 cleft. Stamens 4. Fruit binate, dry, 

 rarely pulpy, consisting of two cells, each containing 1 seed. 



About 300 species are enumerated in this family, of which 

 one half belong to the genus Galium. They are in general 

 weak-stemmed weedy plants, the greater portion being na- 

 tives of the cool regions of the northern hemisphere, a few 

 only of India, South America, and Australia. They are 

 easily recognised by their angular stems and whorled leaves ; 

 and on account of their star-like appearance the family has 

 by some botanists been named Stellatce, A red dyeing 

 property pervades the whole of them. 



Madder (Eubia tinctoria). A strong-growing perennial, 

 native of the South of Europe and Western Asia, and culti- 

 vated in many parts for its roots, which yield the important 

 red dye called Madder, greatly used in calico printing. R. 

 cardifolia forms the Madder of Bengal, and is imported under 

 the name of Munjeeth. 



The imports of Madder to this country in 1869 amounted 

 to nearly 72,000 tons ; to supply this demand many hundreds 

 of acres of land and thousands of people are employed in its 

 cultivation. It is now threatened with total extinction, a 

 substance having been discovered in coal tar, called 

 Anthracine, which possesses all the properties of Madder. 

 Its general use depends only on whether it can be obtained 

 cheaper than Madder. 



Several other species of Buhia have like properties, and it 

 is said the flesh of animals becomes red when fed on these 

 plants. 



In this country the family is well represented by the 



