ADULTERATION  OF  ANNATTO. 
555 
In  the  female  plant  the  pistil,  with  its  well-developed  stigma, 
projects  one-eighth  of  an  inch  beyond  the  throat  of  the  corolla. 
The  small  rudimentary  anthers  are  sessile,  and  hidden  among 
the  coarse  down  of  the  corolla  tube,  so  as  not  to  be  seen  without 
dissection. 
In  the  male  plant  it  is  the  rudimentary  pistil  which  is  confined 
in  the  villous  tube,  far  out  of  reach  of  pollen  influence,  if  even 
it  were  perfectly  developed.  On  the  other  hand,  the  anthers  are 
borne  on  filaments  which  are  free  from  the  corolla  for  one-eighth 
of  an  inch,  and  projecting  that  much  beyond  the  corolla  throat. 
In  the  case  of  Epigcea  I  had  to  correct  many  variations  in  the 
form  and  proportions  of  the  floral  parts.  Mitchella  is  as  re- 
markable for  uniformity;  except  that  the  calyx  teeth  in  the  male 
are  coarser  than  in  the  female,  there  is  little  variation  from  one 
type.  Dr.  Gray  observes  that  the  lobes  of  the  corolla  vary  from 
three  to  four,  five,  and  six.  I  may  add  that  five-lobed  corollas 
are  common,  and  these  are  usually  accompanied  by  five  anthers. 
The  number  of  male  plants  is  about  equal  to  the  female  ; 
occasionally  plants  of  the  separate  sexes  intermix.  I,  and  pro- 
bably others,  have  often  noticed  in  the  fall  some  patches  bearing 
abundantly,  other  patches  without  a  berry.  The  facts  I  now  offer 
afford  the  solution. 
In  reference  to  Mitchella,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  cor- 
rect an  error  in  Lindley's  "  Vegetable  Kingdom."  The  learned 
author  includes  in  his  natural  order  Cinchonaceaa  Mitchella,  Oe- 
phalanthus,  .Diodia,  Oldenlandia  and  Spermacoce, — all  high 
northern  plants  ;  and  yet,  when  speaking  of  the  geography  of 
the  order,  writes  that  "  tlie  most  northern  species  in  America  is 
Pinchneya  pubens,  inhabiting  the  Southern  States  of  North 
America." — Proc.  Philad.  Acad.  Nat.  Sci.y  July,  1868. 
ON  THE  ADULTERATION  OF  ANNATTO. 
By  W.  Laikd,  PH.  C,  Dundee. 
The  Conference  meeting  this  year  in  the  chief  city  of  a  great 
agricultural  district  will,  I  hope,  be  held  as  a  sufficient  reason 
for  my  bringing  under  notice  a  subject  not  strictly  pharmaceuti- 
cal, but  rather  agricultural,  i.  e.  adulteration  of  annatto.  I  Lave 
