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DORSTENIA CONTRAJERV^. 
Contrajerva* 
Class MoNCECiA. — Order Diandria. 
Nat. Ord. ScABRiDiE, Linn. Urtic^, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Receptacle common, one-leafed, fleshy, in 
which solitary seeds are placed in sockets without attach- 
ment. 
Spec. Char. Leaves irregularly laciniated, serrated. Scapes 
rooted. Receptacles quadrangular. 
This perennial plant is a native of South America, and some of 
the West India islands. Nicholas Monardus (above two centuries ago) 
is the first author who mentions this plant, the roots of which he says, 
are called by the Spanish Indians Contrajerva, signifying an antidote 
to poison. We are told by Cliisius, that he received some roots from 
Sir Francis Drake, which were brought from Peru, where they were 
highly valued, and supposed to counteract the effects of every kind 
of poison. It is not improbable, but the roots which are imported 
into Europe are the produce of several species of Dorstenia ; for 
we are told by Dr. Houston, that the officinal contrajerva is the 
root of the Dorstenia Houstonia, and Dorstenia Drakena.f 
The root is fusiform, knotty, branching, furnished with many 
fibres, externally brown, and internally whitish ; the leaves are irre- 
gularly formed, being lobed or dentated, and placed upon long 
radical footstalks, which are winged towards the leaves ; the lobes 
are veined, serrated, and pointed ; the stems are simple scapes, 
which rise about four inches in height, and each supports an irregu- 
lar, quadrangular, fleshy receptacle, which contains the parts of 
fructification ; the flowers are scarcely conspicuous, but are found 
to be male and female, closely situated together, immersed in the re- 
* Fig. «. a portion of the receptacle, magnified, shewing the male and female 
flowers, b. A seed. 
t Vide Clasius Exot, p. 311. Phil. Trans. No. 421, p, 195. 
