Flora Medica

GILLENIA.Calyx tubular, campanulate, contracted and 5-cleft at theedge. Petals 5, ligulate, rather unequal, inserted in the apexof the tube. Stamens 10-20, very short, enclosed in the tube.Carpels 5, almost united into a 5-celled capsule ; style filiform,erect, capitate. Seeds 2 in each cell.4-65. G. trifoliata Mcench. meth. suppl. 286. Bigelow med. bot.iii. t. 41. DC. prodr.ii. 54-6. Spiraea trifoliata Linn. sp. pi.702. Bot. mag. t. 489. Woods in a light soil in the UnitedStates.Stems a foot or two in height, several from the same root, erect,slender, flexuose, smooth, reddish-brown, and branched. Leavesalternate, trifoliate, subsessile, furnished with small lanceolate, slightlytoothed stipules at the base ; leaflets lanceolate, acuminate, sharplyand unequally toothed, the upper ones often single. Flowers few innumber, scattered, terminal, nodding, forming a sort of panicle, withlong peduncles, occasionally furnished with minute lanceolate bractes.Calyx subcampanulate, or tubular, with the lower half narrowest, theborder divided into 5 reflexed acute teeth. Petals 5, the 2 upper onesseparated from the 3 lower, white, with a reddish tinge on the edge,lanceolate, unguiculate, contracted, and approximated at base. Stamensabout 20 in a double series within the calyx. Capsules 5,diverging, oblong, acuminate, gibbous without, sharp edged within,2-valyed, 1 -celled, 1 or 2 seeded; seeds oblong, corresponding in shapeto the capsule. The root is emetic, and possesses properties analogousto those of Ipecacuanha. It requires, however, a larger dose, andis considered uncertain in its operation.466. G. stipulacea Nutt. gen. amer. i. 307. Barton med. bot.71. t. 6., with large ovate-cordate, leafy, gashed and serratedstipules, but otherwise extremely like the last, is reputed topossess the same properties.SPIR.EA.Calyx inferior, nearly flat at the base, with 5 acute segments.Petals 5, roundish or oblong, attached by their claws to the rim ofthe calyx. Filaments more than 20, from the rim of the calyx, capillary; nearly as long as the corolla. Carpels 5, or more, superior,ovate or oblong, compressed, each terminating in a short stout style.Stigmas spreading, obtuse. Capsules as many as the carpels,oblong, pointed, more or less compressed, each of 2 rather membranousvalves, and 1 cell. Seeds few, small, oblong, pendulousfrom the outer margin of each valve.467. S. Ulmaria Linn. sp. pi. 702. E. Bot. t. 960. Fl. Lond.t. 33. Smith Eng. Fl. ii. 368. DC. prodr.in meadows and along ditches.(Meadow Sweet.)Root fibrous, without knobs. Stems 3 or 4 feet high, leafy, branched,furrowed, angular, smooth. Leaves of a few large, pointed, unequally229 Q 3ii. 545. Common