Aromatic Plants of Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia) are OFFICINAL. The bark of Drimys winteri (S. Am.) is also strongly aromatic. Order 6. Calycanthaceae. These are very closely related to the Magnoliaceae, but differ in having perigynous flowers with many perianth-leaves, stamens and (about 20) carpels in a continuous spiral, seeds almost devoid of endos2)erm with rolled up, leaf-like cotyledons, and leaves opposite on a square stem. There are some species in N. America (Calycanthus florida, occidentalis, etc.) and 1 in Japan (Chimonanthus prcccox), all strongly aromatic. Order 7. Monimiaceae. Aromatic shrubs with opposite leaves. Perigynous flowers. The anthers dehisce by valves like those of the Lauracece, and the Mouimiaceas may thus be considered as an apocarpous form of this order. They are also closely related to Calycanthacea. 150 species, tropical. Hedycarya, Mollinedia, Monimia. Order 8. Berberidaceae (Barberries). The regular, $, hypogyiious flowers are dimerous or trimerous and have regularly alternating whorls of free sepals, petals, and stamens and FIG. 334. Diagram of Berleds. FIG. 385. Berbm's : carpel with 2 stamens. 1 unilocular carpel : the corolla and stamens have each 2 whorls, the calyx at least 2. The anthers open, as in Lauraceee, by (2) valves, but are always introrse (Fig. 384). The pistil has 390 D1COTYLEDONES. a large, disc-like, almost sessile stigma (Fig. 385), and in the ovary several erect ovules are placed close to the base of the ventral suture. The fruit is most frequently a berry. Seeds endospermous. Shrubs or herbs with scattered, most frequently compound leaves (without stipules), and racemose inflorescences. They show a relationship to the Lauraceae in the number of the parts of the flower and the dehiscence of the anthers. Berberis is a shrub ; it has sepals 3 + 3, petals 3 + 3, stamens 3 + 3 (Fig. 384). The petals (honey-leaves) bear internally at the base 2 darkish-yellow nectaries. The filaments are sensitive at the base, and suddenly bend inwards if touched at that spot (Fig. 385). The racemes often have a terminal, 5-merous flower; they are borne on dwarf-branches. The leaves on the long-branches develope into thorns, but the buds in their axils, in the same year as themselves, develope as the short-branches with simple foliage-leaves, articulated at the base, from which fact some authorities have considered that the leaf is compound with a single, terminal leaflet Mahonia has imparipinnate leaves. The flower has 3 whorls of sepals. Otherwise as in Berberis. Epimedium ; herbs with spurred petals ; the flowers dimerous ; 4-5 whorls of sepals, 2 of petals and stamens. Fruit a capsule. Leontice, fruit dry. The anthers of PodopJiyllum dehisce longitudinally. Nandina. Aceranthus. 100 species; North temp., especially Asia: fossils in Tertiary. Berberis vulgaris is a native of Europe. This and other species, together with Mahonia aquifolium (N. Am.), Epimedium alpinum, etc., are cultivated as ornamental plants. Several have a yellow colouring matter in the root and stem. OFFICINAL : the rhizome of Podophyllum peltatum (from N. Am.) yields po^o- phyllin. Order 9. Menispermacese. This order has derived its name from the more or less crescent-like fruits and seeds. Dioecious. The flowers are 2-3- + merous, most frequently as in Berberis (S3 + 3, P3 + 3, A3 3), with the. difference that there are 3 free carpels, each with 1 ovule ; in some genera, however, the number is different. Stamens often united into a bundle (as in Myristica) ; anthers dehiscing longitudinally ; fruit a drupe. The plants (with herbaceous or woody stems) belonging to this order are nearly all twining or climbing plants, and have scattered, palmate or peltate, sometimes lobed leaves without stipules. Structure of stem anomalous. Cocculus, Menispermum, Cissampelos, Anamirta. 150 species ; Tropical ; very rich in bitter and poisonous properties. OFFI- CINAL : Calumba-root from Jateorhiza columba (E. Africa). The following are cultivated as ornamental plants : Menispermum canadense (N. Am.) and M. dahuricum (Asia). The fruits of Anamirta cocculus (E. Ind.) are very poisonous <" Graias-of-Paradise " ; the poisonous matter is picrotoxine). Order 10. Lardizabalaceae. This order, by the free, apocarpous carpels, belongs to a more primitive type, and by the united stamens to a more developed one. Akebia ; Ilolliwllia ; principally climbing or twining shrubs. species in S.E. Asia and S. Am. About 7 POLYCARPIC^:. 391 Order 11. Lauraceae (True Laurels). Trees or shrubs; the leaves, always without stipules, are simple, most frequently scattered, lanceolate or elliptical, entire, penninerved, finely reti- culate (except Cinnamomum with 3-5-veined leaf), leathery and evergreen (except, e.g. Cinnamomum) ; they are frequently studded with clear glands containing volatile oil. The flowers are borne in panicles and are small and of a greenish or whitish colour. They are regular, perigynous, with most frequently a bowl or cup-shaped receptacle (Fig. 386), usually , and trimerous (rarely dimerous) through all {most frequently 6-7) whorls ; viz. most frequently, perianth 2 whorls, stamens 3-4 and carpels 1 (P3 + 3, A3 + 3 + 3 + 3, G3) in regular alternation (Fig. 387). Each of the 2 or 4 loculi of the anthers open by an upwardly directed valve (Fig. 386) ; of the stamens, the 2 outermost whorls are generally introrse, FIG. 386. F:O er of the Cinnamon-tree (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) (longitudinal section). FIG. 387. Typical dia- pram of the Lauraceae: g staminodes. FIG . 088. Lauras iiobtlis : longitudinal section of fruit. the others extrorse, or 1-3 whorls are developed as staminodes (Fig. 3870). The gynoeceum has 1 loculus with 1 style and 1 pendulous ovule (Fig. 386), and may be considered as formed of 3 carpels. The fruit is a berry (Fig. 388) or drupe, which often is surrounded at its base by the persistent receptacle (as an acorn by its cupule), which becomes fleshy and sometimes coloured during the ripening of the fruit. The embryo has 2 thick cotyledons, but no endosperm (Fig. 388). The Lauraceae present affinities with thePolygonacese, in which there is found perigyny, as well as a similar number of parts in the flower and a similar gynoeceum, but with erect and orthotropous ovule. From their general characters they should be classed among the Polycarpicae, but stand, however, isolated 392 DICOTYLEDONES. by the syncarpoas gynceceum, if it is in reality formed by 3 carpels and not by 1 only. Hernandia, which has epigynous mono3cious flowers, deviates most. Cassytha is a Cuscuta-like, herbaceous, slightly green parasite with twining, almost leafless stems. The flower however agrees with the diagram in Fig. 387. Some Lauraceee have curved veins or palminerved aud lobed leaves (often together with entire ones) e.g. Sassafras. 'There are 1000 species ; especially in the forests of tropical S. America and Asia, of which they form the principal part. Only Lauras nobilis is found in Europe, and there is little doubt that its proper home is in Western Asia. FIG. 389. ZIyristica : fruit. Fio. 390. Seed with aril entire and in longitudinal section. They are rare in Africa. On account of the volatile oil found in all parts of the plant, they are used as tpices, e.g. the false Cinnamon tree (Dicypellium caryo- pliyllatum, in the Brazils). The OFFICINAL ones are the Cinnamon-tree (Cinna- momum zeylanicum from Ceylon, E. India, Eastern Asia), which is also culti- vated ; the Camphor-tree (Cinnamomum camphura. Eastern Asia). The Laurel- tree (Lauras nobilis, Mediterranean), the berries and leaves of which give laurel oil, is medicinal. Scented wood lor furniture, etc., is obtained from Sassafras officinalis (from N. Am.). The wood ftcm its roots is officinal. Piclmrim " beans " are the large cotyledons of Neclandra picJairy, whilst the RHCEADiNE. 393 famous "Greenheart " wood of Demarara is the wood of Nectandra rodicei. The pulp and seeds contain a fatty oil. The pear-like fruit of Persea gratissima (Mexico, also cultivated) is very delicious. Lindera benzoin is a garden shrub ; Laitrus nobilis likewise. Order 12. Myristicaceae (Nutmegs). In this order there is only 1 genus, Myristica. Trees or shrubs. The leaves agree closely with those of the Lauraceee, with which this order has many points in common. The majority of the species are aromatic, having in their vegetative parts pellucid glands with volatile oils. The flowers are regular, dioecious, trimerous, and have a single gamophyllous (cupular or campanulate) 3-toothed, fleshy perianth. In the $ -flowers the anthers vary in number (3-15), and they are extrorse and borne on a centrally-placed column ; in the ? -flower the gynceceum is unilocular, unicarpellary, with 1 ovule. The FKUIT (Fig. 389) has tbe form of a pear ; it is a fleshy, yellow capsule, which opens along the ventral and dorsal sutures, exposing the large seed. This seed has a large, red, irregularly branched aril the so-called "mace"; the "nutmeg," on the other hand, is the seed itself with the inner thin portion of the testa, which has pushed its way irregularly into tbe endosperm, and causes the marbled appearance of the cut seed (Fig. 390) ; the external, dark brown, hard, and brittle part of the seedshell is however removed. Mace and nutmeg contain volatile and fatty oils in abundance. 80 species. Tropical. The majority are used on account of their aromatic seeds and aril, the most important being M. fragrans (wosctiata), from the Moluccas. This is cultivated in special plantations, not only in its native home, but in other tropical countries also. Nutmegs were known as com- modities in Europe in very ancient times (e.g. by the Romans), but it was not until the year 1500 that the tree itself was known. The seed is OFFICINAL. Family 10. Rhceadinse. The plants belonging to this family are almost exclusively herbaceous, with scattered, exstipulate leaves.. The flowers are eucyclic di- or tetra-merous, with the calyx and corolla deciduous, hypogynous, ^ ^regular, thegynoeceum with 2-several carpels (generally 2, transversely placed (Figs. 391, 892, 393, 397). The ovary is unilocular with parietal placentas, but in Cruciferse and a few others it becomes bilocular by the development of a false, membranous wall between the placentae. The stigmas in the majority of cases are commissural, i.e. they stand above the placentae, and not above the dorsal line of the carpels. The fruit is Dearly always a capsule, which opens by the middle portions of the carpels detaching themselves as valves, bearing no seed, whilst the placentas persist as the seed-bearing frame. Endosperm is found in Papaveracew and Fumariaceie, bat is absent in Cruciferse and Capparidaceds. This family through the Papaveraceae is related to the Polycarpicse (the Nymphaaaceae), through the Capparidaceae to the Eesedaceae in the next family. Exceptions to the above are : EschschoUzia, Subularia (Fig. 403) and a few 394 DICOTYLEDONES. Capparidacese, in which perigynous flowers are found. A few Papaveracese and Fumariaceae have trimerous flowers. 'In Fumaria and certain Cruciferae, the fruit is a nut. The Fumariaceas have zygoinorphic flowers. Trees and shrubs are almost entirely confined to the Capparidaceas, in which order stipules also are found. Order 1. Papaveracese (Poppies). Herbaceous plants with stiff hairs and latex ; flowers regular (Fig. 391) with generally 2 (-3) sepals (which fall off as the flower opens), 2 + 2 petals (im- bricate and crumpled in the bad) without spur, numerous stamens in several alternating whorls (generally a multiple of 2) ; carpels 2- several, united into a unilocular gynoeceum. Trimerous flowers also occur. Capsule with very numerous seeds on the parietal placentae ; embryo small, with large, oleaginous endosperm (Fig. 392). The leaves have no stipules and are generally pinnately lobed. FIG. 391 A Diagram of the flower of Glaucium and tue dichasium (which becomes transformed into a scorpioid cyme). Papaver argemone, transverse section of the ovary with indication of the position of the stigmas. FIG. 39.'. Papaver somniferum : A cap- sule ; st the stigma ; v valves ; h pores ; B seed in longitudinal section ; alb endo- sperm ; emb embryo. Papaver (Poppy,) has large, solitary, terminal flowers ; petals firmly and irregularly folded in aestivation ; gynceceuin formed by many (4-15) carpels ; stigmas velvety, sessile and stellate (the rays stand above the placentae) (Fig. 391 _&). The edges of the carpels project deeply into the ovary, but do not meet in the centre, so that it remains unilocular. The capsule opens by pores placed close beneath the stigma, and formed of small valves alternating with the placentae and the rays of the stigma (Fig. 391) . P. dubium, P. nrgemone, P. rhueas. Chelidonium (Greater Celandine) has yellow latex, flowers in umbellate cymes (the terminal, central flower opening first) and only 2 carpels ; the fruit resembles the siliqua RHCEADINJE. 395 of the Cruciferse in having two barren valves, which are detached from the base upwards, and a seed-bearing frame, but there is no partition wall formed between the placentae. Oh. majus.ThQ majority of the other genera have, like Chelidonium, 2 carpels (lateral and alternating with the sepals: Fig. 391 A) and siliqua-like fruit, thus : Eschscholtzia (perigynous) with a linear, stigma-bearing prolongation extending as far above the placentae as above the dorsal suture of the carpels ; Glaucium (Horn-Poppy) ; G. luteum, whose extremely long, thin capsule differs from that of Chelidonium by the formation, during ripening, of a thick, spongy (false) replum, which persists when the valves are detached ; Sanguinaria with red latex, the 2 petals divided into 8-12 small petals (perhaps by dedoublement) ; Macleya and Bocconia (1- seeded capsule) with 2 sepals and no petals. Trimerous flowers are found in Argemone and Platystemon (with a curious fruit, carpels free, and transversely divided and constricted into joints which separate as nut-like por- tions). Meconopsis. Hypecoum (Fig. 393 C) has tri-lobed and three cleft petals, 4 free stamens with 4-locular anthers and a jointed siliqua; it presents a tran- sitional form to the Fumariaceae, with which order it is sometimes included. POLLINATION. Paparer and Chelidonium have no honey, and are without, doubt only visited by insects for the sake of the pollen. The anthers and stigmas mature about the same time. There are 80 species ; especially from warm climates. OFFICINAL : Papaver somniferum (Opium-Poppy) ; the latex of its unripe capsules is obtained by incisions, and dried (opium) ; it contains many alkaloids: morphine, papa verine, narcotine, thebaine, etc. The oleaginous seeds are also used in the manufacture of oil. Its home is in the East, where it is extensively cultivated. The petals of the Corn-poppy (P. rhceas) are also officinal. Several species are cultivated as ornamental plants. Order 2. Fumariacse (Fumitories). This order differs from the closely allied Papaveraceae in the absence of latex, a poorer flower, generally transversely zygomorphic (Fig. 393 B), in which case one or both of the outer lateral petals are gibbous, or pro- longed into a spur ; the stamens are especially anomalous. Sepals 2, caducous ; petals 2+2 ; stamens 2, tripartite ; each lateral anther B is bilocular (Figs. 393 A, ; 395) ; gynceceum bicarpellate. The fruit is a nut or siliqua-like capsule. Endosperm. Herbs with scattered, repeatedly pinnately-divided leaves without stipules, generally quite glabrous and glaucous ; the flowers are arranged in racemes with subtending bracts, but the bracteoles are some- times suppressed. Dicentra (syn. Dielytra) and Adlumia have a doubly symmetrical flower, with a spur or gibbous swelling at the base of each of the laterally-placed petals (Figs. 393 A, 394). Corydalia has a zygomorphic flower, only one of the lateral petals having a spur, and consequently there is only one nectary at the base of the bundle of stamens, which stands right in front of the spur (Fig. 396 DICOTYLEDONES. 393 B, 395, 396). The fruit is a many-seeded siliqua-like capsule. A peculiarity of the flower is that the plane of symmetry passes transversely through the flowers, whilst in nearly all other zygomorphic flowers it lies in the median line. Moreover, the flower is turned, so that the plane of symmetry ultimately becomes nearly vertical, and the spur is directed backwards. Many species have subterranean tubers; in these the embryo germinates with one. FiG. 393. Diagram of Dtcenfro (A), Corydalis (S), and Hypecoum (C). coiyltdon, which is lanceolate1 and resembles a foliage-leaf. The tuber is in some the swollen hypocotyl (C. card), in others a swollen root (C. fabacea, etc.), which grows down through the precisely similar swollen root of the mother-plant. The sub-genus Cerat.ocapnos has dimorphic fruits (nuts and capsules) in the same raceme. Fumaria differs from Corydalis only by its almost drupaceous, one-seeded nut (Fig. 395). THE STRUCTURE OP THE FLOWER. Hijpecoum among the Papaveraceee is the connecting link with the Fumariacese. The diagram (Fig. 393 C) corresponds both in number and in the relative position of its members with that of most of the other Papaveraceae (Fig. 391), except that there are only four stamens (with extrorse anthers). In Dicentra (Fig. 393 A), the two central (uppermost) stamens are absent, but each of the two lateral ones are divided into three filaments, of which the central one bears a four-locular anther, and each of the A B Fie. 394. THcentra spectdbilis: flower () ; the same, after removal of half of one outer petal; the cap, formed by the inner petals, is moved away from the anthers and stigma; the insect does this with the lower side of its abdomen, and thus rubs the stigrna on the hairs of its ventral surface; the dotted line at e indicates the direction of the proboscis ; C androecium and gynoeceum ; D stigma. RH(EADI]SL. 397 others a two-locular (half) anther. Corydalis and Fumaria stand alone iu the symmetry of the flower, differing from Dicentra in having only one of the lateral petals (Fig. 393 B, sp) prolonged into a spur, while in Dicentra both the petals are spurred. This structure has been interpreted in various ways. According to Asa Gray the median stamens are absent in the last-named genera, and the lateral ones are split in a similar manner to the petals of Hiipecuurn. Another, and no doubt the most reasonable theory (adduced by De c'andolle), is : that two median stamens ate split, the two parts move laterally, each to their respective sides and become united with the two lateral stamens ; this affords a natural explanation of the two half-anthers, and estab- A lishes a close relationship to the Cruciferae. third interpretation, held by Eichler and others, is as follows : the median stamens are always wanting ; when they appear to be present, as in Hypecoum, it is due to the fact that the FIG. 39-3. Fumaria ojficin- A alis : the flower in longi- B tudinal section ; the androe- cium and gynceceura ; nectary to the right. FIG. 396. Coriidalis cava: a a flower (lateral viaw); ?> the anthers lying round the stigma; c the anthers shortly before the opening of the flower; d the head of the stigma ; e relative position of the parts of the flower during the visit of an insect. side portions of the lateral stamens approach each other (as interpetiolar stipules) and coalesce into an apparently single stamen. 130 species ; mostly from the northern temperatures. POLLINATION. Fumaria, with its inconspicuous flowers, has to a great extent to resort to self-pollination. Corydalis, on the other hand, is dependent on cross-pollination ; C. cava is even absolutely sterile with its own pollen. Corydalis is pollinated by insects with long probosces (humble-bees, bees), which are able to reach the honey secreted in the spur ; as they alight on the flowers they press the exterior petals on one side (Fig. 396 e), so that the stigma, surrounded by the anthers, projects forward ; the proboscis is intro- duced in the direction of the arrow in the figure, and during this act the under-surface of the insect is covered with pollen, whioh is transferred by similar 398 DICOTYLEDONES. movements to the stigma of another (older) flower. Dicentra (spectabilis and eximia), Adlumia, Corydalis. Ornamental plants ; Order 3. Cruciferse (Crucifers). The flowers are regular, 5; sepals 4, free (2 + 2), deciduous; petals 4, free, deciduous, unguiculate, placed diagonally in one whorl, and alternating with the sepals ; stamens 6 ; the 2 outer are short, the 4 inner (in reality the two median split to the base) longer, placed in pairs (tetrady- namia of Linnaeus) ; gynceceum syncarpous formed by 2 (as in the previous order, lateral) carpels, with 2 parietal placentae, but divided into two loculi by a spurious membranous dissepiment (replum) (Fig. 397). Style single, with a capitate, usually two- lobed stigma, generally commisural, that is, placed above the parietal placentas (Fig. 397), but it may also be placed above the dorsal suture, or remain undivided. Ovules curved. The fruit is generally a bivalvular siliqua (Fig. 398 B, C), the valves separating from below upwards, and leaving the placentae attached to the replum ; other forms of fruits are described below. The oily seeds have no endosperm (endosperm is present in the two previous orders) ; the F embryo is curved (Figs. 398 E, ; 399, 400). In general they are herbaceous plants, without latex, with scattered, penninerved FIG. 397.-Diag.-am of a Cruciferous flower. leaves, without stipules ; the inflorescence js yerv characteristic, namely, a raceme with the flowers aggregated together at the time of flowering into a corymb, and destitute of both bracts and bractt'oles. Many are biennial, forming in the first year a close leaf-rosette. By culti- vation the tap-root can readily be induced to swell out into the form of a tuber (Turnips, Swedes, etc.). Stipules are found indicated by small glands on the very young leaves ; in Cochlearla armoracia they are fairly large triangular scales. Stellate hairs often occur. Floral-leaves are occasionally developed. Terminal flowers are never found in the inflorescences. Iberis and Teesdalin. have zypomorphic flowers. Subularia (Fig. 403) is perigynous. The 2 external sepals (Fig. 397) stand in the median plane ; it may therefore be supposed that there are two bracteoles outside tbese which, however, are suppressed, and can only in a few instances be traced in the young flower ; the two lateral sepals are often gibbous at the base, and serve as reservoirs for the nectar secreted by the glands placed above tbem ; they correspond in position to the extemal petals of the Fumariaceas. The 4 petals.which follow next arise simultaneously, :and alternate with the 4 sepals; if it could be shown that these are merely 2 median petals, which have been deeply cleft and the two parts separated from EH(EADINJB. 399 each other and displaced to the diagonal position, there would be a perfect correspondence with the Fumariaceous flower ; then the petaJs would be followed FIG. 398. Brassica oleracea : B. C siliqua ; D seed ; E embryo ; F transverse section of seed. in regular alternation by the 2 lateral small stamens, the 2 median long stamens,, which it has been proved are split into 4 and placed in couples, and the 2 laterally-placed carpels, in all 6 dimerous whorls. But the formation of the FIG. 399. Transverse section of seed and embryo -of Cheiranthus che,ri. FIG. 400. Transverse section of seed of Sisymbrium alliaria. corolla by the splitting of 2 petals does not agree with the development of the flower or bear comparison, and hence the only fact in favour of this theory is W. B. DD 400 DICOTYLEDONES. the otherwise prevailing correspondence with the Fumariaceaa. Yet it may he observed that in special cases each pair of long stamens clearly enough arises from one protuberance and even later on may be considerably united or entirely undivided (e.g. Velio) ; in other instances they are quite distinct from the beginning, and it is possible that this latter condition has become constant in the corolla. Lepidium ruderale and others have no corolla. Senebiera didyma has only 2 median stamens. Megacarpcea has several stamens, no doubt by dedoublement, as in Capparidacea?. The number of carpels may also be abnormally increased ; Tetrapoma barbareifolium has normally 4 carpels with an equal number of placentae and repla. It is supposed to be a variety of Nasturtium palustre.