Medical and oeconomical botany / by John Lindley.

  • Lindley, John, 1799-1865.
Date:
1849
    2. S. Eusgelliana Smith.—(Bebfout) Willow.) Fig. 113. Stamens 2 ; scales of catkins whole coloured, deciduous ; the hypogynous gland much shorter than its stalk ; leaves lanceolate, acuminate, smooth, silky only when young, serrated. Habitat. Woods and meadows of England. Quality and Uses. As in No. 1. By some regarded as the best medicinal Willow. 3. S. vilellina Linnseus.—(Golden Willow). Fig. 114. Stamens 2 ; scales of catkin whole coloured, deciduous ; hypogynous gland very short, yet as long as its stalk ; leaves lanceolate, acuminate, serrulate, silky on hoth sides ; branches bright yellow. ndbilat. Meadows of Europe. Quality and Uses. As in No. 1, but weaker. 4. S. purpurea LinnjEus. S. IleUx, Linn, a variety. Fig. 115. Stamen 1 ; gland longer than the base of the ovary ; leaves lanceolate, finely serrulate, smooth, flat. Ilahitat. Meadows of Europe. Quality and Unes. As in No. 1 ; its bark intensely bitter. Fig. 1]3.-Snlix Uiisselliana; 114. Diminished figure of Salix vitellina: a, the underside of a leaf, natur.-il size; 115. Balix piirpnrra.
    THE URTICAL ALLIANCE {V. K., p. 258.) i2atitral (BristtS of ©rtical^. i^cttlcto0rt^ {Urticacece.) Ovule erect. Embryo straight. Juice watery. fS^^^ |§cmj3l)j0rt^ [Cannabinacece.) Ovule suspendejl. Juice wat^. '^J^fl0ra^f;S {Moracece.) Ovule suspended. Juice milky. S(rt0carpattS {Artocarpacece.) Ovule suspended. Embryo straight. Juice milky. Natural Order, ^ettXttoovtS; Urticacece (V. K., p. 260.) PrevoMing Quality. Acrid ; narcotic. Urtica. Linnceus. Male: Calyx 4-parted. Stamens 4, elastic. Female : Calyx 2-parted. Stigma sessile, capitate, pencilled. 1. U. dioica Linnseus.—(Larger Stinging Nettle.) Leaves coarsely serrated ; panicles axillary, longer than the petioles. Habitat. Waste places. Quality. Poisonous, acrid ; asti-ingent, diuretic. Uses. Young shoots in brotli; flogging with nettles in arthritis and paralysis. Parietarta. Linnceus. Calyx of both sexes 4-parted. Style filiform. Stigma capitate, pencilled. 1. P. officinalis Linna3us.—(Wall Pellitort.) Leaves ovate ; stems prostrate, spreading, branched. Habitat. Old walls all over Europe. Quality. Diuretic, Uthontriptic. Uses. In calculous and urinary affections ; in dropsies. Natural Order, l^emptuovtii; Cannabinacece (V. K., p. 265.) Prevailing Quality. Narcotic. Cannabis. Linnceus. Flowers diojcious. Male : Calyx 5-parted. Stamens 5. Female : Calyx 1-leaved, rolled up. Styles 2. 1. C. sativa Linnseus.—(Hemp.) Fig. 116. Leaves digitate, serrated ; flowers axillary. Habitat. India and Persia. . Quality. Stimulant, narcotic ; allays pain ; excites appetite ; a certain aphrodisiac ; produces catalepsy; causes delirium. Uses. Rheumatism, tetanus, hydi'ophobia, cholera.
    MORADS. HuMULUs. Linncsus. Flowers dioecious. Male : Calyx 5-partecl. Stamens 5. Female : Flowers in coues. Cal//x scale-like, partially rolled up. 1. H. Lupalus Linna3us.—(The Hop.) Fig. 117. A twiner ; leaves undivided, coarsely serrated, with harsh hairs. Eahitat. Hedges of Eui-ope. Quality. Narcotic ; lupuliiie, aromatic, tonic ; sedative. Uses. Pillows of hops in mania and restlessness ; dyspepsia ; in the preparation of malt liquor. Natural Order, M^ixr^i', Moracece (V. K., p. 266.) Prevailing Quality. Acrid ; narcotic ; with elastic gum. Ficus. Linnceus. Flowers within a closed turbinate fleshy receptacle. 1. F. elastica Roxburgh.—(Bengal India-rubber Tree.) Leaves stalked, oblong, acute, glossy, with numerous fine divergino- veins and a stout midrib ; fruit not eatable. TTah'taf. Forests of Sylhet. Qufdiiij. Mil]<y juice acrid, tenacious. Uses, Forms a large part of the caoutchouc exported from Bengal. Fig. 116.- a, Male inflorescence of Cannabis sativa; b, female ditto; 117. Humulua Lupulus in fruit.
    2. F. Carica Lmnsens.—(Common Fig.) Leaves cordate, palmate, scabrous on the upper side, downy on the lower. Habitat. Levant. Quality. Fruit nutritive, emollient, demulcent, laxative; apt to disorder the stomach ; when young, acrid. Uses. Food ; heated and split open for gumboil, &c. ; added to barley water in pulmo- nary and nephritic affections ; forms part of the confection of seima. MoRUS. Linnceus. Calyx 4-parted. Stamens 4. Styles 2. Fruit, a spike, composed of the succulent conglomerated axis, calyxes and carpels. 1. M. nigra Linna3us.—(The Mulberry Tree.) Leaves cordate, ovate, undivided or lobed, serrated, rough ; fruit sessile, purple. Hahitat. Persia. Quality. Fruits alimentary ; allay thirst ; diminish febrile heat ; laxative. Uses. A common dessert fruit; as a colouring substance. DoRSTENiA. Linnceus. Flowers monoecious, naked, plunged in sockets of a plane receptacle. Stamens 2. Carpels becoming dry loose acha3nia. 1. D. Contrayerva lAnu^Bu^.—(Contrayerva.) Fig. 118. Caulescent; leaves palmate, with deeply serrated or almost piunatifid acu- minate lobes; receptacle somewhat quadrangular. Hahitat. Tropical America. Quality. Rhizome stimulant, tonic, diapho- retic ; emetic ; Iceeps badly. Uses. Low fevers, and where mild stimulants are required. 2. D. brasiliensis Lamarck. Stemless ; leaves cordate, oblong, obtuse, serrated ; receptacle circidar, crenated. Hahitat. West Indies and Brazil. Quality. As m No. 1; also emetic. Said to be the most energetic species. 118 Natural Order, sji-tararjiaU^; Artocarpacece (V. K., p. 269.) Prevailing Quality/. Acrid; narcotic. Artooarpus. Linnaeus. Male Flotoers in catkins, with 1 stamen and 2 sepals. Females naked, becoming a roundish fleshy tuberculatcd fruit. rig. us.—llec jptiiclo of Uorstenia Coutriiycrva.
    spuhgewoets. 1. A. incisa Linuasus.—(The Buead-fruit Tree.) Leaves pimiatifitl, siiuiated, scabi-ous, downy on the under side ; male catkins noddino'. Habitat. Islands of the Pacific, and Indian Archipelago. Uses. Tlio large fruit nutritious when sliced and dried; filled with a tenacious white milk before becoming ripe. Antiaris, Leschenault. Males on a mushroom-like receptacle, with 3 or 4 sepals, and as many sessile anthers. Females solitary, becoming fleshy drupes. 1. A. toxicaria Leschenault.—(The Upas Tree.) Fig. 119. Leaves oval-oblong, acute, hairy on both sides, especially on the main veins, slightly serrated ; male receptacles stalked. Habitat. East Indies. Quality. Juice an acrid poison ; emetic; causes convulsions. Uses. Poisons weapons ; its fibre woven into coarse linen. N.B.—The fables current concerning the action of the plant are a mixture of truth connected with distinct natural pheno- mena in Java, and the real properties of the plant. That its emanations are occasionally noxious is an undoubted fact, though excessively exaggerated. THE EUPHORBIAL ALLIANCE (V.K., p. 272.) Natural Order, ^purgciQart^; Euphor- biacece (V. K., p. 274.) Prevailing Qiialiti/. Acrid ; emetic. 1X9 Euphorbia. LinnoBus. Moncpxious. Floic^ers naked ; males monandrous, surrounding a 3-coccou3 stalked female ; the whole placed within a cup-shaped involucre. Fig. 119,—Leaf of Antiaris toxicaria.