Loganiaceae

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Loganiaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Loganiaceae (from the genus Logania, named in honor of J. Logan, a botanist). Logania Family. Fig. 49. Herbs, shrubs, or trees: leaves opposite, simple: flowers usually bisexual, regular; calyx 4-5-lobed or -parted; corolla 4-5-, or 10-lobed, imbricated or convolute; stamens epipetalous, of the same number as the lobes of the corolla and usually alternate with them, rarely reduced to 1; ovary superior, usually 2-celled, rarely 1-or 4-celled; ovules usually numerous; styles 1; stigmas 1-2: fruit a capsule, rarely a berry or drupe. The family contains 32 genera and about 360 species, of tropical distribution. A few genera only reach the temperate zone, 4 species of which are native in northeastern North America. Fossil species are known. The family is related to the Apocynaceae, Gentianaceae, Solanaceae, Rubiaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. The opposite stipulate leaves, and 2-celled superior ovary, are important distinctive characters. The seeds and bark of Strychnos nux-vomica contain a very poisonous alkaloid, strychnine, used as a nerve tonic. Curare, with which the Indians of South America poisoned their arrows, is probably obtained from the bark of S. toxifer. Other species of Strychnos are used in Java to poison arrows. The root of Spigelia (pink-root), an American plant, has been used as a vermifuge. It is also poisonous. Strychnos Ignatia yields the poisonous Ignatius bean of India. The nut of S. potatorum is the clearing nut of India, which is used to purify foul water, by rubbing it on the inside of the vessel. The roots of yellow jasmine (Gelsemium sempervirens) of the southeastern United States are used as a nerve tonic. Three or 4 genera are in the North American trade, all ornamental: Buddleia, semi-hardy; Gelsemium (Yellow Jessamine), woody vine, semi-hardy; Spigelia (Pink-Root), herbaceous, hardy. CH The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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