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DESCRIPTION OE MEDICINAL PLANTS. 
conical or subglobular with numerous anthers, the female 
subglobular, surrounded by scales. The fruit forms a sort 
of strobilus, filled with mostly abortive seeds, resembling 
sawdust. The gray bark beset with corky ridges on the 
branchlets. Distributed over the whole State. FI. March. 
The bark, collected in fall or winter. 
ONAGRACEiE. (Evening- Primrose Family.) 
Oenothera biennis, L. Evening Primrose. A stout, erect 
biennial, with a wand- like flower stem or leafy spike 1—5° 
high ; leaves lanceolate to oblong, acute or acuminate, 
repandly denticulate, the lowest petioled ; calyx-tube 1-2J' 
long, the tips of the sepals contiguous; petals J-f' long; 
capsule more or less pubescent or hirsute, flowers yellow. 
Dry, cultivated or fallow lands. A common weed. The 
leaves. 
PASSIFLORACEAE. (Passion-Flower Family.) 
Passiflora incarnata, L. Passion Flower. Maypops. Climb- 
ing or trailing herbaceous perennial. A singular and beauti- 
ful plant, but also very troublesome weed from the difficulty 
of eradicating it, and the excessive prolificness of its spread- 
ing roots. Leaves 3-5 cleft, the lobes serrate. Tendrils 
emerge from the axils of the petioles. The flower is large, 
orbicular in outline, 2' in diameter, consisting of a calyx of 5 
sepals united at the base into a short cup, colored like the 
petals within ; the throat crowned with a triple fringe. 
Petals 5 on the throat of the calyx, flesh-colored. Involucre 
3-leaved. Fruit as large as a hen’s egg, pulpy, pleasant 
tasting. It is at present highly recommended as a pure 
hypnotic without producing general narcosis. Should this 
property be confirmed by further observations, it would 
become one of the most important drugs. The herb is used 
for a fluid extract. (Eli Lily’s Fluid Extracts.) 
CACTACEiE. (Cactus Family.) 
Opuntia vulgaris, Mill. Fleshy aud thickened, leafless plants, 
