STRYCHNOS NUX VOM[CA. 
Vomic or Poison Nut.* 
Class Pentandi A.— Or<Zer Monogynia. 
Nat. Ord. Luridje, Linn, Apocineje, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Calyx five-cleft to the base, small, deciduous. 
Corolla monopetalous, five-cleft, acute. Filaments longer 
than the corolla, simple. Berry one-celled, and full of 
pulp. 
Spec. Char. Leaves ovate. Stem unarmed. 
The Nux Vomica, Lignum Colubrinura, and Faba Saucti 
Ignatii, were long known as narcotic poisons brought ft-om the East 
Indies, while the vegetables that produced them were either un- 
known, or at least not botauically described. Through the researches 
of Linneeus the Nux Vomica was at last found to be the tree described 
under the name Caniram, in the Hortus Malabaricus ; to tlus genus 
he also referred the Colubrinum ; the Faba Sancti Ignatis was sub- 
sequently found to belong to a different species, to which the generic 
name Ignatia was given. The Strychnos is a native of the East 
Indies, growing abundantly on the coasts of Malabar and Coroman- 
del ; it was introduced into England in 1778, by Dr. Russel,t but 
has never been cultivated with success in this country. 
This tree grows to rather a large size, sending off numerous strong 
branches, covered with dark grey smooth bark ; the smaller branches 
have a knotty, jointed appearance, and are covered with bark of a 
dark green colour. The leaves arise at the joints, in pairs, standing 
upon short foot-stalks ; they are broad, ovate, pointed, and entire, 
with three or five ribs, and on the upper side of a shining green co- 
lour : they vary in length from two to four inches, and the larger 
leaves are as much as four inches broad. The flowers terminate the 
branches in a kind of fasciculated umbel ; they are small, of a 
greenish-white colour, and disagreeable smell. The calyx is small. 
* Fig. a. the corolla spread open (magnified.) b. Tke pislillam, magnified, 
c. Transverse section of the fruit, 
-f Hortus Keweusis. 
