332 
PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY 
palous, not infrequently everted or reflexed, corolla of five, rarely 
four petals, more or less synpetalous, in shape passing from open- 
stellate as in Gentiana lutea through many stages of connation to 
long-tubed as in Gentiana acaulis; stamens five, epipetalous; pistil 
bicarpellate; ovary one-celled or incompletely two-celled; style more 
or less elongated with bilobed to divided stigma. Fruit a capsule. 
Seeds albuminous. 
Official drug 
Gentiana 
Chirata N. F. 
Menyanthes N.F. 
Centaurium N.F. 
Unofficial 
Sabatia 
Part used 
Rhizome and 
roots 
Entire plant 
Leaves 
Flowering plant 
Herb 
Botanical origin 
Gentiana lutea 
Swertia Chirayita 
Menyanthes 
trifoliata 
Erythraea 
Centaurium 
Sabatia angularis 
Habitat 
Europe and Asia 
Minor 
Northern India 
Europe and Asia 
Europe 
Eastern United 
States and 
Canada 
A pocynacece or Dog Bane Family: — Herbs, rarely shrubs not infre- 
quently clambering or climbing in habit ( Allamanda ). Stem and 
branches show bicollateral bundles. Stem, leaves and flowers have 
latex tubes which ramify through the cortex and mesophyll tissues. 
Leaves alternate, opposite or verticillate, simple, entire, deciduous 
or evergreen. Inflorescence cymose. Flowers regular, pentamer- 
ous, rarely tetramerous; sepals five, gamosepalous, green, rarely sub- 
petaloid to petaloid; petals five, slightly to deeply gamopetalous, in 
shape varying from open tubular, stellate, to elongate tubular to 
elongate funnel-shaped, in color varying from greenish-yellow to 
white or from yellow to yellow-red to crimson to crimson-purple to 
nearly purple-blue; stamens five, epipetalous; pistil usually bicarpel- 
late; ovary two-celled with central placentation; style more or less 
elongate with terminal brush of hairs, knobbed or multifid; stigma 
circular band or circular spur beneath terminal style swelling. Fruit 
two follicles ( Apocynum , etc.), a berry, drupe, or capsule. Seeds 
flattened, frequently hairy, albuminous. 
