Flora Medica

PSYCHOTRIA.somewhat racemose. The root possesses propertiessimilar to thoseof Ipecacuanha. It is the striated Ipecacuanha of Guibourt and Mr.Pereira, &c., the black or Peruvian Ipecacuanha of others. It containsaccording to M. Pelletier 9 per cent, of Emetina.878. P. noxia Aug. de St. Hil. pi. remarq. bras. 234-. t. 21. B.DC.prodr. iv. 508; is a reputed poison in Brazil.PALICOUREA.All as in Psychotria, except the corolla, which is tubular andcylindrical, and a little gibbous at the base or curved, 5-cleft,bearded beneath the middle inside. The teeth of the calyxand the lobes of the corolla, sometimes rather unequal. Americanshrubs usually destitute of pubescence. Leaves oftenwhorled and of considerable size. Flowers yellow or white, interminal sessile or stalked panicles, thyrses, or cymes.879. P. Marcgraavii Aug. de St. Hil. pi. remarq. bras. 231.t.22. A. DC. prodr. iv. 525. Erva do Rato Marcgr. bras.60. f. 2. Galvania Vellozii 7?. and S. Brazil in the woods ofMinas Geraes and Pernambuco.A shrub 5-6 feet high. Branches quadrangular, smooth. Leavesshort-stalked, oblong, acuminate, obtuse at the base, smooth ; stipulesinterpetiolar, trifid. Cymes terminal, stalked, solitary or occasionally3 together. Pedicels downy. Calyx 5-toothed, downy. Corolla 5-7lines long, slightly curved, gibbous at the base, roughly downy, yellowishsaffron-coloured below, purplish above ; closely bearded with hairsinside. Epigynous cup somewhat 2-lobed. Sometimes the leaves aredowny underneath. A poisonous plant, employed in Brazil to killrats and mice. Very little is known of its real properties.880. P. crocea DC. prodr. iv. 526. Psychotria croceaSwartzfl. ind. occ. 429. (Brownejam. 1. 13. f. 1.). West IndiaIslands.Quite smooth. Leaves ovate or oval-lanceolate, acuminate, ratherstiff. Stipules connected by a short ligula, two on each side, linear,acuminate, twice as short as the petiole. Panicle corymbose, terminal,saffron-coloured. Corolla obconical, tubular. Anthers projecting fromthe tube, shorter than the limb. Berry somewhat double, DC. Anemetic according to Von Martius.881. P. speciosa HBK. iii. 368. DC.prodr.iv. 528. NewGranada, and Brazil. (Douradinha do Campo.)Branches smooth, round. Leaves oblong, acuminate, acute at thebase, membranous, roughish, shining; stipules smooth. Paniclesstalked ;their angular branches and corollas hairy and downy, DC.The leaves have, by their yellow colour, obtained for the plant thename of Goldshrub, highly spoken of in Brazil as an antisiphilitic. Thedecoction, which in large doses forms a real poison, acts especially byan increased action of the skin and kidneys, and the digestion is notinjured by moderate doses. Martius.882. P. officinalis Mart, in linncea 1830 litt. 39. DC.prodr.iv. 530. Brazil.441