10 NAT. ORDER. ACANTHACE-^. 
lar, within hairy, the whole purpHsh-blue, prettily variegated and 
veined with pale marks of the same color, and red and yellow ; an- 
thers midi filaments white ; style clavato-acuminate. 
This beautiful plant was found by Francis de Sylva, at Sichet ; 
and though Dr. Wallick introduced it to European gardens, where it 
is a great ornament, flowering during the winter and spring months. 
The flowers are handsome, but in a measure concealed by the dis- 
tichous foliage, under which they seem to insinuate themselves, though 
they originate in the upper axis of the leaf The leaves themselves 
have a striking peculiarity in exhibiting the costa and nerves promi- 
nent on the upper side of the leaf, and sunk into the substance of the 
leaf (the costa excepted, which is slightly prominent), on the under 
side. On each side of the nerve, however, on the upper side, the pa- 
renchyme forms a closely-placed elevated line. 
Medical Properties and Uses. The medical properties of this 
foreign plant have not been regarded by physicians of sufficient im- 
portance to entitle it a place among the catalogue of medicines ; yet 
it possesses properties similar to the Atropa belladonna, (see Vol. i. 
p. 23.) It is eaten indiscriminately by horses and cattle, without ap- 
parently any bad effects ; but, on distillation, it is found to possess 
slightly narcotic and poisonous properties. 
m 
