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Flora Medica

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NYCTAGINACE^E.Nat. syst.ed. 2. p. 213.MIRABILIS.Involucre like a calyx, 5-cleft, 1 -flowered. Calyx petaloid,funnelshaped, hardened and permanent at the base. Stamens 5,inserted into the base of the calyx. Stigma capitate. Fruit witha membranous pericarp, enclosed within the hard tough permanentbase of the calyx. Embryo curved round central mealyalbumen.753. M. dichotoma Linn. am. ac. iv. 267. Wllld. i. 999.Plenck. ic. t. off. 139. Jalapa officinarum Mart. cent. i. t. 1.Nyctago dichotoma Juss. (Clus. hist. xc. 3.) Mexico.Stem erect, bushy, branching, tumid at the nodes. Leaves ovateoblong,acute, somewhat repand, smooth, with the petioles and marginsdowny as well as the young shoots. Flowers sessile, axillary, erect,solitary, with obtuse emarginate segments or clustered and terminal ; ;very sweet at night. Calyx slender, pale red. The thick fleshy rootis purgative, and at one time was taken for the Jalap of the shops.754. M. Jalapa Linn. sp. pi 252. Bot. Mag. t. 371, a commonborder flower, with similar roots, is said by some not to bepurgative by others ; to be so, and to be used for adulteratingtrue Jalap.755. M. longiflora Linn, sp.pl. 252. Act. holm. 1755. p. 176.t. 6. f. 1. Smith exot. hot. t. 23. Mexico, in the colder partsof the mountains. (Marvel of Peru.)A prostrate, branching, downy plant. Leaves cordate, acute, nearlyor quite sessile, repand and wavy, viscid as well as downy. Flowersclustered, sessile, white with a purple eye, very fragrant at night, atwhich time they open ;the tube of the calyx exceedingly long andslender. The root is said to be more purgative than that of any otherspecies.BOERHAAVIA.Involucre calyx shaped, turbinate, enveloping the fruit. Calyxplaited, short and inconspicuous. Stamens 2, 3, 6, 12.Stigmas3. Fruit composed of the hardened and permanent base ofthe calyx, enclosing a thin 1 -seeded pericarp.756. B. decumbens Vahl. mum. i. 284. R. and S. i. 64.B. paniculataRich. act. soc. h. n. i.par. 105. B. laxa Pers.synops. i. 36. B. diandra Aubl. guian. i. 4. Guiana, SantaCruz, Tortola. (Hogmeat.)365

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