Flora Medica

GENTIANACE.E.forming an elegant, oblong, leafy, decussated panicle. Bractes 2 ateach division of the panicle, and like the leaves, but smaller. Calyx4-cleft ; divisions linear, acute, permanent. Corolla yellow ;the limbspreading and 4-parted, with divisions as long as those of the calyx, andalso permanent. Stamens 4. Anthers cloven at the base. Stylesingle, as long as the ovary. Stigma large, 2-lobed. Capsules rathershorter than the permanent calyx and corolla, 1 -celled, 2-valved, openinga little at the apex. Seeds numerous, affixed to 2 receptaclesadhering to the sides of the valves. An excellent tonic bitter. Thewhole plant is pulled up at the time the flowers begin to decay, anddried for use. Its febrifugal properties are in high estimation withEuropean practitioners in India, who use it instead of Cinchona whenthe latter is not to be procured. Professor Royle has shown that thecommon notion of this being the Calamus aromaticus of the ancients isunfounded ;see his Illustrations, fyc. p. 278.FRAZERA.Calyx deeply 4-parted. Corolla 4-parted, rotate, deciduous,with a bearded orbicular gland in the middle of each segment.Stamens 4. Capsule compressed, partly margined, 1-celled.Seeds few, imbricated, elliptical, with a membranous margin.1097. F. carolinensis Walt. car. 87. i.Torrey fl. 187.F. Walter! Michx. i. fl. 97. Elliott sketch i. 205. Bart. veg.mat. med. ii. 35. Borders of lakes in the middle and southernstates of the North American Union.Root biennial. Stem 3-5 feet high, erect, sub-quadrangular, smooth.Leaves opposite and verticillate, oblong-lanceolate ;the lower ones afoot long, and more than 3 inches broad. Flowers verticillate ; peduncles1-flowered, unequal. Segments of the calyx linear-lanceolate,acute. Corolla greenish-yellow, speckled with purple ; segments acuminate,with an oval or orbicular fringed gland in the centre of each.Stamens shorter than the corolla, alternating with its segments ; filamentssubulate ; anthers large, oblong, yellow. Ovary oblong, attenuatedinto a short style; stigma bifid. Capsule much compressed, oval,acuminated with the persistent style. Seeds 6-8. Torrey. The rootis a pure, powerful, and excellent bitter, destitute ofaroma, and is fullyequal to Gentian. Whenfresh it is reported to be emetic and cathartic.The roots have been imported into Europe as a sort of Calumba, andhave acquired in consequence the name of American Calumba.CICENDIA.Corolla funnel-shaped without ;glands or any corona, with a5-parted limb, eventually twisted over the capsule. Stamens 5.Stigma capitate. Capsule 1-celled, with the valves so much inflectedas to divide the cavity almost into 2 cells. Anthers notaltering.1098. C. hyssopifolia Wight and Arnott in Comp.toBot. Mag.ii. 250. t. 28. Gentiana hyssopifolia Linn, suppl. 174. Burm.afr. t. 74. f. 3. Exacum hyssopifolium Willd. i.sp. pi. 640Various parts of the East Indies, common.520