﻿( 110 .) 



SOLA'NUM* * 



Linnean Class and Order. Penta'ndria f, Monogy'nia. 



Natural Order. Solanea;, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 124. — Sin. Gr. 

 of Bot. p. 101. — Lindl. Syn. p. 180. ; Introd. to Nat. Systof Bot. 

 p. 231. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 435. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 527. — 

 Lurida; of Linnaeus. 



Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 1 sepal, in from 5 to 

 10, more or less deep, acute segments, permanent. Corolla (fig. 2.) 

 of 1 petal, wheel-shaped ; tube very short ; limb much longer, 

 reflexed, plaited, in 4, 5, or 6 sharp-pointed, equal, rather deep 

 segments. Filaments 4, 5, or 6, short, awl-shaped. Anthers 

 (figs. 3 & 4.) much longer, oblong, angular, converging, sometimes 

 unequal, opening by two pores at the apex. Germen, (figs. 5 & 6.) 

 roundish. Style (figs. 5 & 6.) thread-shaped, longer than the sta- 

 mens, deciduous. Stigma blunt, simple or notched. Berry (f. 7.) 

 roundish or egg-shaped, smooth, with a hollow dot at the end ; of 

 2, occasionally more, cells, with a fleshy receptacle to each, con- 

 nected with the partition. Seeds (fig. 9.) numerous, roundish, 

 compressed, imbedded in pulp ; sometimes minutely dotted. Em- 

 bryo, (according to De Candolle) spiral. 



Distinguished from other genera, with a monopetalous, inferior 

 corolla, in the same class and order, by the calyx of from 5 to 10 

 segments ; the wheel-shaped corolla ; the anthers opening by 2 

 pores at the extremity ; and the roundish berry of 2 or more cells. 



Two species British. 



SOLA'NUM DULCAMA'RA +. Woody Nightshade. Bitter- 

 sweet. 



Spec. Char. Stem shrubby, zigzag, without thorns. Leaves 

 heart-shaped, upper ones hastate. Clusters cymose. 



Engl. bot. t. 365. — Curt. FI. Loud. t. 14. — Linn. Sp. PI. p.264. — Woodv. 

 Med. Bot. v. i. p. 97. t. 33.— Muds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed. ) p. 93. — Srn. FI. Brit, 

 v. i p.256. Eng. FI v. i. p. 317. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 318. — Lindl. Syn. 

 p. 182. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 94. — Lightf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 145. — Sihth. FI. Oxon. 

 p. 78. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 51— Purt. Midi. Fi. v. i. p. 129— Relh. FI. Cant. 

 (3rd ed.) p. 96. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 79. — Cirev. FI. Edin. p. 54. — FI. Devon pp. 

 40 5c 150. — Johnst. FI. of Berw. v. i. p. 61. — Thorton’s Family Herbal, p. 141. — 

 Walk. FI. of Oxf. p 63. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 33. — Mack. Catal. of PI. of Irel. p. 

 24 Solatium lignosum, seu Dulcamara, Bay’s Syn. p. 265. — Dulcamdra 

 Jtexuosa, Gray’s Nat. Arr. of Bril. PI. v. ii. p. 331. — Amara dulcis, Johnson’s 

 Gerarde, p. 350. 



Localities. — I n moist hedges and thickets. Not uncommon in most counties 

 in England ; more rare in Scotland and Ireland. 



A Shrub. — Flowers from June to August. 



Root woody. Stem shrubby, somewhat climbing, branched, 

 thinly beset with small pointed tubercles, slightly angular, and 



F’ig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla. — Fig. 3. Tha 5 united Anthers. — Fig. 4. A 

 single Anther. — Fig. 5. Calyx, Germen, & Pistil. — Fig. 6 Germen and Pistil. — 

 Fig. 7. A Berry. — Fig. 8. A transverse section of a Berry. — Fig. 9. A Seed. 



* Name of doubtful origin. According to some from Solamen, on account 

 of the comfort or solace derived from some species as a medicine. Dr. Hooker. 



t See Anchusa sempervirens, fol. 48, note +. 



t From dulcis, sweet, and amara, bitter; in allusion to the flavour of the 

 herb when chewed. Loudon. 



