260 



^VEEr>S AXD USEFUL PLAXTS. 



posed to regard the ^-liole story of the tobacco trade, and the uses made 

 of the herb, as an absurd and extravagant fable. In rie^ of the facts 

 and circumstances, it does seem like sheer affectation, on our part, to 

 pretend to be astonished at the indulgence of the Chinese, and other 

 Asiatics, in the use of Opium. The habitual use of Tobacco is always 

 more or less injurious to the system — especially the nervous svstent : 

 and in many instances it is highly deleterious. *I speak from long ob- 

 servation, and a personal experience of many years, having smoked and 

 cheu-ed the herb, until its pernicious effects compelled me "to cs-chciv it 

 altogether. 



Oeder LIII. GEXTIAXA'CE^. (Gextiax Family.) 



Smooth herbs with a colorless litter juice, opposite, entire and sessile leaves without stipules; 

 Jlowers regular : stameiis as many as and alternate with the lobes of ihe corolla, which are 

 convolute in the bud : a 1-ceUed" ovary with 2-parietal placeutte : the fruit a 2-valved, 

 septicidal many-seeded pod ; seeds with fleshy albumen. 



An Order containing many beautiful species — a number of them valuable for their 

 bitter, tonic properties ; among which may be mentioned the Gentian of the shops (Gen- 

 tiana lutea, L.). Few or none, however, are of any agricultual importance. 



1. SABBATlA,Adons. Cextauet. 



[Named after Liberatus Sablati : an Italian Botanist.] 



Calyx 5 -12-parted. Corolla sub-rotate. — the limb .5 - 12-lobed. convo- 

 lute (twisted to the right) in the bad. Stamens as many as the corolla- 

 lobes ; aut/iers erect, opening by a longitudinal tissure. tinally recurved. 

 Style 2-parted. — the branches stigmatiferous. at length spirally twisted. 

 Capsule 2-valved. septicidal. l-celled. with spongy placenta? along the 

 sutures. Bieu/uals or annuals with slender stems and handsome flowers 

 in a cymose panicle. 



1. S, angula'ris, PursJi. Stem acutely 4-angled. somewhat winged ; 

 leaves ovate, sessile and amplexicaul : calyx-segments mostly 5. linear- 

 lanceolate, acute, much shorter than the corolla ; corolla mostly 5-parted, 

 the lobes obovate, rather obtuse. 

 AxGTJLAE Sabbatia. Centaury. 



Root annual"? (biennial, X)C.k Sttm lii-lS inches high, often bushy with numerous 

 branches. Leaves about an inch long. 5-nerved. Flowers sometimes composed of 6 parts. 

 Coi-oUa rose red, with a pjale green star in the centre. Cai sule oblong-ovoid, mucronate, 

 with a keeled suture on each side. Seeds rugosely pitted, under a lens. 



Sterile old fields : Canada to Carolina. Fl. July -August. Fr. September. 



Obs. This plant has but little connection with agriculture : yet it is 



so generally and deservedly popular as a bitter and tonic medicine, that 

 it would seem desirable lor every farmer to be able to identify it. and 

 therefore I have inserted it. There is another plant in the South and 

 "West belonging to this tribe, which is highly commended for similar 

 roperties, namely, the Wild Colombo, (Fra ' sera Caroliiien' sis, 'i^'olt.) 

 do not deem it necessary, however, to do more than mention it here. 



