Herbs with alternate, entire leaves and perfect, 5-parted, hypogynous flowers.

Calyx free. Stamens 5 to 30, alternate with the sepals when of the same number.

Ovary usually compound, of several carpels, each 1-ovuled cohering in a circle.

Styles and stigmas as many as carpels. Fruit baccate or samara-like. Seeds erect, with the embryo coiled around the farinaceous albumen.

Genera 20, species so, scattered in all parts of the world. Their properties arc purgative or emetic, yet hitherto little used or understood.

1. PHYTOLAC'CA, Tourn. Poke. Gargot-weed. (Gr. a plant, Lat. lacca, lac or lake; from the juice of the berries.) Calyx 5-parted, resembling a corolla; stamens 5 to 25; styles and carpels 5 to 12; berry superior, depressed, globular, with as many seeds as styles. - Herbaceous. Rac. terminal, soon becoming opposite the leaves.

P. decandra L. Lvs. ovate, acute at both ends; fls. with 10 stamens and 10 styles. - Roadsides, U. S. and Can., common. Root very large and branching. St with a diam. of 1 to 2', 5 to 8f high, round, smooth, branching, and when mature of a fine, deep purple. Lvs. 5' by 2 to 3', smooth, of a rich green color, entire and petioled. Rac. cylindric, long, at first terminal, becoming finally opposite the leaves. Fls. greenish-white. Fruit a dark purple berry, with juice staining a beautiful purple color. Jl. - Sept.

2. RIVI'NA, Plum. (In memory of A. Q. Rivinus, Prof, of Botany at Leipzic.) Calyx 4-parted, 3-bracteolate; sepals equal, snberect in fruit; stamens 4 or 8; ovary 1-cellcd, 1-styled, 1-ovuled, berry at length, dry, globular, with 1 vertical seed; embryo annular. - Half shrubby, with alternate, petiolate, pinnate-veined lvs. and fls. in simple terminal, soon lateral racemes.

R. laevis L. Erect, branched, glabrous and bright green; lvs. ovate, acuminate, subeordate or obtuse at base, subcrenulate; rac. longer than the leaves; fls. rose-white, green in fruit; stam. 4; sep. oval, obtuse. - Fla. to Tex. Plant 6 to 8 high, much resembling in aspect Phytolacca. St. furrowed. Lvs. 2 to 4' by 1 to 2', petioles 1' to 18". Sep. enlarged in fruit, then 2" long.