A General System of Botany Descriptive and Analytical Volume 1; In Two Parts (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1876 Excerpt: ...of Asia and Europe. Lobeliacea: contain in abundance a very acrid and narcotic bitter juice, which burns the skin, and taken internally produces mortal inflammation on the digestive canal; and they are hence amongst, the most poisonous of plants. Some are employed in medicine by American practitioners, but with the greatest caution. Lobelia injlata (Indian Tobacco) is used as an expectorant and diaphoretic in the treatment of asthma; but from being incautiously administered has caused many deaths. The West Indian Isotoma lonyifloi-a a violent cathartic, also employed as a therapeutic, is as dangerous. Lobelia syphilitica, once in great repute, has fallen into disuse. L. cardinalis is an acrid anthelmintic, and the European L, urens is a vesicant.--En. CXXVIII. ERTCINEE. (ericje Et Rhododendra, Jussieu.--Ericaceae, D.C.--Ericinee, Desvaux.) Corolla mono-or poly-petalous, hypogynous, usually diplostemonous. Stamens hypogynous, or rarely inserted at the base of the petals; Anthers 2-celled, usually opening by 2 terminal pores. Ovary many-celled; Ovules anatropous. Fruit dry or fleshy. Embryo albuminous, axile.--Stem woody. Shrubs or Undershrubs. Leaves usually alternate, entire or toothed, exstipulate. Flowers 2, axillary or terminal, solitary or aggregated. Calyx 4-5-fid or-partite, persistent. Corolla hypogynous, 4-5-merous, usually monopetalous, inserted at the outer base of a hypogynous disk, aestivation contorted or imbricate. Stamens usually double the petals in number, rarely equal, and then alternate with Heath. Transverse section of ovary (mag.). them, not adhering to the corolla, and inserted like it on the disk, or scarcely adherent to its base; filaments free, sometimes more or less monadelphons (Lagenocarpus, Philippia); anthers dorsi-or basi-fixe...