NAT. ORDER, 
Convohulaceee. 
CONVOLVULUS SCAMMONIA. SCAMMONY, OR BINDWEED 
Class V. Pentandria. Order I. Monogynia. 
Gen. Char. Corolla, bell-shaped, plaited. Stigmas, two. Cap- 
sules, two-celled, each cell containing two seeds. 
Spe. Char. Leaves, sagitate, truncated on the back part. Pe- 
duncles, columnar, with about three flowers. 
The root is tapering, and somewhat branched towards its 
lower part, and, in good soil, oftentimes grows to the length of 
four or five feet, and from three to four inches in diameter ; it is 
covered with a bark, of a light gray color, and contains a consid- 
erable quantity of milky juice ; the stalks are numerous, slender, 
twining, and proceed from the root, fifteen to twenty-five feet in 
length ; the leaves are arrow-shaped, smooth, of a bright green 
color, and placed upon long foot-stalks ; the Jlowers, which stand 
in pairs on the pedicles, are funnel-shaped, plaited, and of a pale 
yellow color ; the calyx is double, consisting of four emarginated 
leaflets in each row ; the capsules are three or four-seeded, and 
contain pyramidal seeds. 
This is a perennial plant, and is described as being a native 
of Syria ; it is also found growing extensively on the chain of 
mountains extending from Antioch to Mount Lebanon. Recently, 
however, this valuable plant has been discovered growing wild in 
this country. In the western part of the State of New-York, and 
some parts of Ohio, we have seen the Scammony growing in 
some of the most impenetrable forests ; and its luxuriant foliage 
VoL a.— 67 
