drug called in the shops Cocculus indicus is the seed of Menispei*mum Coc- 
culus, and is well known for its narcotic properties, especially in poisoning 
fishes. Nevertheless, according to De Candolle, the berries of Menispermum 
edule, Lam. are eaten with impunity in Egypt ; but they are acrid, and a very 
intoxicating liquor is obtained from them by distillation. Royle also states 
that the fruit of several is eatable. The bitter poisonous principle of Cocculus 
indicus is the above-mentioned vegetable alkali, picrotoxia. It has been sup- 
posed that a peculiar acid, called the menispermic, also existed in the same 
plant ; but this is now known to have been merely a mixture of sulphuric and 
oxahc acids. Turner, 653. Forskahl states that from the berries of Cocculus 
cebatha, although acrid, a spirit is distilled in Arabia called Khumr-ool-majnoon ; 
Royle adds that he found the root of Cissampelos obtecta used for the same 
purpose in Gurhwahl. Illustrations, 62. 
GENERA. 
Spirospermum, Pt.Th. Fibraurea, Lour. Cissampelos, L. 
Braunea, Willd. Limacia, Lour. Stephania, Lour, 
Anamirta, Colebr. Androphylax,'SS[&c\di. Clypea, Blume. 
Clypea, W. et A. Wendlandia, Willd. Menispermum, L. 
Cocculus, DC. Epibaterium, Forst. Abuta, Aubl. 
Chondodendron,'R.'? . Nephroia, Lour. Trichoa, Pers. 
Cebatha, Forsk. Bagalatta, Roxb. Batschia, Thunb. 
Leceba, Forsk, Pselium, Lour. Phytocrene, Wall. 
Gynostemma, Blume. 
Natsiatum, Roxb. 
lodes, Blume. 
Coscinium, Colebr. 
Tiliacora, Colebr. 
Meniscosta, Blume. 
Agdestis, M 09 . Sess. 
Meborea, Aubl. 
Rhopium, Schreb. 
Tephranthus, Neck. 
Sub-Order ? LARDIZABALE^. 
Lardizabale.®, § of Menisperraaceae, DC. Prodr. 1. 95. (1824) ; Bartl. Ord. Nat. 343. 
(1830). 
Many- seeded cai*pels and compound leaves are assigned to these plants by 
De Candolle ; otherwise they are said to accord with Menispermacese. I am 
myself unacquainted with the genera; but I learn from Mr. Amott that 
Dr. Brown, the highest of all authorities in these matters, considers them dis- 
tinct from MenisperAiaceae. 
GENERA. 
Lardizabala, R. et P, Stauntonia, DC. Burasaia, Thouars. 
Hollbollia, Wall. 
Sub-Class II. MONOPETALiE. 
Essential Character. — Petals combined in a monopetalous corolla. 
If it were not for the frequent occurrence of what are called gamopetalous 
plants among Polypetalae, that is of plants whose petals cohere more or less 
into a tube, this sub-class would have very nearly definite limits ; for such ex- 
ceptions as Glaux in Primulaceae, which is apetalous, and E^iottia, &c. in 
Ericaceae, which are polypetalous, are unimportant. But with regard to the 
gamopetalous genera of polypetalous orders, as Correa in Rutacese, Stack- 
housiaceae, Fouquieraceae, and others without end, the only method of recog- 
nizing them is to see if the petals cannot be easily separated, or if they do not 
separate spontaneously by the base at least, or if the pistil is not apocarpous. 
As to the affinities of Monopetalae, they are extremely various. SteUatae touch 
