45^ 
Remarks  on  the  Quinine-Flower. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Oct.,  1876. 
diffuse ;  leaves  small,  sessile,  the  lowest  obovate,  the  upper  linear}  lobes  of  the  co- 
rolla 3  to  4  times  as  long  as  the  short  filiform  calyx-lobes.  (S.  paniculata,  Ell.) 
Open  pine  barrens,  Florida  to  South  Carolina.  Aug.  and  Septb. — Stems  J  to  i| 
feet  high.    Leaves  3  to  6  lines  long.    Corolla  8  to  10  lines  wide. 
In  both  the  herbarium  specimen  and  the  plants  sent  by  Dr.  Palmer, 
the  calyx  lobes  are  more  prominent  than  might  be  supposed  from  the 
description  given,  but  they  are  evidently  described  as  short,  in  compari- 
son with  the  much  longer  calyx  lobes  of  Sabbatia  stellaris,  gracilis  and 
allied  species,  in  which  they  are  about  equal  in  length  to  the  corolla, 
while  in  the  species  under  consideration  they  are  about  one-third  the 
length.  The  lowest  leaves  are  obovate,  those  a  little  higher  on  the 
stem  oblanceolate,  with  an  acute  point,  and  become  rapidly  narrowed 
to  a  linear  shape.  The  stems  of  the  plants  recently  received  are  from 
20  to  24  inches  high,  and  consequently  rather  exceed  the  height  as 
given  by  Chapman. 
The  herb  has  at  first  an  herbaceous  taste  which  gradually  develops 
into  a  pure  and  persistent  bitter,  free  from  astringency. 
The  popular  name  quinine  flower  appears  to  be  confined  to  a  small 
locality,  probably  to  only  a  portion  of  Florida  ;  at  least,  I  have  not 
been  able  to  find  it  in  any  of  the  floras  or  popular  botanical  works  of 
the  United  States.  Porcher's  ct  Resources  of  the  Southern  Fields  and 
Forests,"  p.  556,  however,  mentions  Gentiana  quinqueflora  under 
the  names  of  Indian  quinine  and  ague  weed — and  states  that  "  this  and 
the  G.  saponaria  are  esteemed  fully  equal  to  the  imported  gentian  ;  in 
large  doses  they  are  said  to  be  laxative  ;  Dr.  E.  P.  Wood,  of  Wiscon- 
sin, has  given  this  plant  with  success  in  intermittent  fever."  He  also 
gives  a  detailed  account  of  the  medicinal  properties  of  Sabbatia  angu- 
laris,  the  American  centaury,  and  states  that  Sab.  stellaris  and  Sab. 
gracilis  possess  properties  similar  to  the  former. 
This  genus  of  North  American  plants  is  closely  allied  to  Erythraea, 
of  which  several  species  (E.  chilensis,  centaurium,  linarifolia,  etc.)  are 
still  employed  in  different  countries  as  tonics,  and  sometimes  as  anti- 
periodics  ;  but  we  do  not  remember  that  effects  resembling  quininism 
have  been  ascribed  to  any  of  those  plants,  such  as  Dr.  Palmer  states 
are  experienced  from  the  quinine  flower  of  Florida. 
