78

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEMCA.

Order IX ___ARACE.E, Schott, Lindl.— THEARUM TRIBE.

This order is distinguished from the preceding one by its naked unsexual flowers, arranged„ _„ upon a spadix wilhin a spathe. Its prevailing propcrty is acridity,

r IG. lo*. especially remarkable in Dieffenbachia Seguina, or the Dumb Cane,

anative of the West India Islands, two drachms of whose juice haveS^\ been known to prove fatal in two hours.

irum Maculatum ( Wake.Robin) or Cuckow pint, is the only indige-S881J nous plant of tbe order. Every part of it is acrid; but, by dryingor hcating, it loses this property. From the Underground tubers ismanufaetured, in the island of Portland, a feculant substance, calledForlland Arrow-root or Portland Sago. 1 The substanee which Ihave received under this name is a white amylaceous powder, Ex-amincd by the mieroscope the particles are found to be exceedino-lysmall. Tbey are circular, mullar-shaped, or polyhedral. The an-gular appearance of sorae of them probably arises fromcompression.The hilum is circular, and apparently lies in a small depression. Itcracks in a linear or stellate manncr.Arum Colocasia (fig. 132) is cultivated in Egypt for the nutritiousmatter got from the tubers. Arum Esculentum is cultivated in theWest Indies for a sirnilar purpose.

[Arum triphyllum. Arum, U. S. Secondary List.The Cormus. This plant is indigenous to the UnitedStates, where it grows in damp woods. It is known by thenames of Dragon Root, Indian Turnip, and Wake Robbin,to the inhabitants of the country. The root is perennialand tuberous, round and flattened; early in the season itsends up an erect green or purplish scape, at the extremityof which is an ovate acuminate spathe, of a green colour,striped with purple, convoluted at bottom, flattened at top,and beut over like a hood; within the spathe is a club-shaped spadix. The male flowers are at the summit, theThe berries are clustered, scarlet; leaves on long sheath-ing petioles, composed of three ovate acuminate leaflets. All parts of theplant are peculiarly acrid, this is more apparent in the root than elsewhere,producing a burning, corrosive Sensation in the mouth when chewed. Theaerid principle is extremely volatile, being entirely driven off by heat and bydrying; it is not imparted to water or alcohol. When dried the root consistsalmost entirely of ficula, which can be obtained from it as pure and white asarrow root.

This article of the Materia Medica when recent or partially dried, possessesstimutaling properties, increasing the secretions, and especially those from thebronchial mucous surface. On this account it may be used in chronic bron-chitis, a case in my hands of this nature, was much benefitted by its use. Thepowder is used as an application to the apthas in the mouths of children.Dose öj.—J. C]

Order X.—PALMiE, Juss— THE PALM TRIBE.

Palmaceje, Lindl.Essential Character.- — Flowers hermaphrodile, or frequently polygamous.^ Perianth six-parted, in two series, persistent; the three outer Segments often smallcr, the inner sometimesdeeply connate. Stamens inserted into the base of the perianth, usually definite in number,opposite the Segments of the perianth, to which thcy are equal in number, seldom three ;sometimes, in a few polygamous genera, indefinite in number. Ovary one, three-eelled,or deeply three-lobed ; the lobes or cells one-seeded, with an erect ovule, rarely one-seeded.Fruit baceate or dupraceous, with fibrous flesh. Albumen cartilaginous, and either rumi-nate or furnished with a central or ventral cavity ; embryo lodged in a particular cavity ofthe albumen, usually at a distance from the hilum, dorsal and indicated by a little nipple,

_i Withering's Arrangement of British Plants, vol. iii. P- 670, 7th ed. i830.

Arum Colocasia.

Fig. 133.

@©~©0©

©@©

©

Particles of PortlandArrow-root.

female at the base.