Flora Medica

VERBENACE^E.erect. Cotyledons obovate-oblong. Radicle oval, inferior. Theleaves are a powerful discutient and employed by the Malays to removethe boss. The leaves are given in decoction and infusion and formedinto a cataplasm which is applied to the enlarged spleen. Roxb. Thefruit is acrid, and called in India filfil burree or wild pepper.1031. V. Agnus castus Linn, has similar acrid fruit. Accordingto Forskahl, the seeds are reputed at Smyrna to be a certainremedy against colic, if powdered and strewed over half an onionapplied to the stomach.1032. V. Negundo Linn, sp.pl. 890. Roxb. fl.ind. iii. 70.(Rheede ii. t. 12. Humph, iv. t. 19.) Various parts of theEast Indies.Trunk irregular, often as thick as a man's thigh or more. Branchesrather thin, opposite ; young shoots downy, slightly 4-sided. Leavesopposite, petioled, ternate, and quinate. Leaflets, the exterior one orall lanceolate, entire, soft;all three, petioled; the lower two sessile;below of a very pale whitish green from 2 to 4;inches long, and lessthan 1 broad. Panicles terminal, oblong, tapering to a point, erect ;rachis straight, 4-sided; ramifications decussated, generally 3-forked,or 2-forked with sessile flowers in the cleft. Flowers small, numerous,a most beautiful blueish- purple. Calyx permanent, closely embracingthe bottom of the berry. Corolla with the lower lip large, entire ;upper lip shorter, 4-parted. In India a decoction of the aromaticleaves helps to form the warm bath for women after delivery ; bruisedthey are apph'ed to the temples for headach ; pillows stuffed with themare put under the head to remove a catarrh and the headach attendingit. Roxb. Fruit acrid as in the two others.1033. Gmelina parviflora Roxb. has the power of renderingwater mucilaginous, which isemployed as a ptisan for the cureof the heat of urine in gonorrhoea in India. Roxb.1034. Callicarpa lanata Roxb. is bitterish and subaromatic,and isemployed in Indian medicine. Royk.1035. Congea villosa Roxb. has leaves with a strong heavydisagreeable smell, used by the natives of India in fomentations.Roxb.STACHYTARPHA.Calyx tubular, 4-toothed. Corolla hypocrateriform, unequal,5-cleft, with a curved tube. Stamens 4, of which 2 only arefertile.1036. S. jamaicensis Vahl. enum. i. 206. R. and S. ii. 203.Verbena jamaicensis Linn. syst. veg. 66. Willd. i. 115. Jacq.obs. iv. t. 85. (Sloane, 1. 107. f. 1.)West India Islands.An undershrub with scattered hairy branches. Leaves about 2 incheslong, oblong-ovate, coarsely and sharply serrated, quite entire at thebase, obtuse, sometimes acute, with a few hairs on the midrib. Spikea span long, dense, not so thick as a goose's quill. Bracts ovate,shorter than the calyx, with their margin near the bottom membranous.496