1216

ELEMENTS OF MATERIA MEDICA.

K'ti'" eS

equal in number to the petals, anti opposite them, inserter! upon the disk, s0I1U (|V: ,te,sterile by abortion ; filaments distinct, or slightly cohering at the base ; anthersversatile. Ooary superior, two celled ; style one, very short; stigma simple b( . e ,erect, definite. Berry round, often by abortion oue-celled, pulpy. Seeds four ^or fewer by abortion, bony, erect; albumen hard ; embryo erect, about one-' 1 j.

length of the albumen; radicle taper; cotyledons lanceolate, plano- c " atScrambling climbing shrubs, with tumid separable joints. Leaves with s ^j UJtC lese base, the lower opposite, the upper alternate, simple or compound. , e .j.

the

racemose, sometimes by abortion changing to tendrils often opposite theFlowers small, green (Liudley). , uSl) al

Properties. —Acid leaves, and a fruit like that of the common grape, is 1,1character of the order (Lindley).

Vi'tis vinif'era, Linn. L. E. D. — Common Grape-vine.

Sex . Syst. Pentandria, Monogynia.

(Baccne exsiccatae deraptis acinis, L .—Dried fruit, E .—Fructus siccatus, D.)

History. —The grape-vine has been known anti cultivated ff° nl

the

that

piove

faf 6

most remote periods of antiquity. The Sacred Historian tells usNoah {Gen. ix. 20) planted a vineyard and made wine. This wasthan 2000 years before Christ. Among the most ancient of thewriters, Homer ( Od. vii. 121, and xxiv. 342), Hippocrates , and Hero{Euterpe, lxxvii.), may be referred to as speaking of the vine. rahj- 1 '

Botany. Gen. Char. c v e,Fig. 225. somewhat five-toothed. Petals ^

1 cohering at the point, separatuj^ a

(mi

P

the base, and droppingcalyptra. Stamens five.

Berry two-celled, four-seeded ^

Style

TS

cells or seeds often abortive (D;

Sp. Char. — Leaves lobed,toothed, smooth or downy (D- ^ b-A hardy, exceeding variable o j] ltLeaves more or less lobed,pubescent or downy, flat or crl . S ^’piH>'or intensely green. [Tendrils .j. a ].]site to each footstalk, solitary; s *Branches prostate, climbing ° r c oiU'tender or hard. Racemes loose °pact, ovate or cylindrical,pale, or white, watery or fleshy ’,8 alt s-ovate or oblong, sweet, musky 0 vtere. Seeds variable in nlinl a hof'sometimes the whole of then' , vi i-tive (D. C.) No less thanrieties are cultivated at thebourg gardens. - v s hal’ e .

Description. —Grapes {Uvee), considered with respect to oJ

and colour, may be thus arranged (Thompson, m Loudon s LCard.)^ |b j S

1. Round, dark-red, purple, or black grapes .—The most remarkable ' of ^

division is the black Corinthian grape, which, when dried, constitutes the c.grocer. tbe faVt> ur

2. Oval, dark red, purple or black grapes. —To this division belongsblack Hamburgh grape.

Vitis vinifera.