Botanical Description.--A vigorous plant with scandent stem 2-4 meters
long, the more recent growth woolly. Leaves opposite, entire, 5-12
centimeters long and 2-6 broad, oval or rounded. Petiole striated and
short. Flowers in umbelliferous cymes, compound, axillary, solitary and
alternate, with woolly peduncles; hermaphrodite, regular, small, of a
pale green color inside and a light purple outside. Calyx gamosepalous,
with 5 lobules. Corolla gamopetalous, 5 oval, twisted lobules. Staminal
crown composed of 5 fleshy scales, joined to the staminal tube. Stamens
5, inserted on the throat of the corolla, filaments joined to form
a very short tube with anthers straight, short and crowned by a
membranous bilocular appendix. The gynoecium consists of 2 unilocular
ovaries each containing an indefinite number of ovules. Style with a
pentagonal stigma which bears in each angle a glandular body. Fruits
compound with two separate follicles, large, lanceolate, smooth,
8-10 centimeters long and 5 in circumference. Each encloses a seed,
hairy, albuminous with straight embryo and flattened cotyledons.
Habitat.--Mountains of San Mateo.
LOGANIACEÆ.
Logania Family.
_Strychnos Ignatii_, Berg. (_S. Philippensis_, Blanco; _Ignatia amara_,
L.; _Ignatia Philippinea_, Lour.)
Nom. Vulg.--_Pepita Fruta_, Sp.-Fil.; _Pepita sa katbalongan_,
_Kabalongan_, Tag., Pam.; _Pangaguason_, _Aguason_, _Kanlara_,
_Mananaog_, _Dankagi_, _Katalonga_, _Igasud_, Vis.; _St. Ignatius
Bean_, Eng.
Uses.--The part of the plant employed is the seed, known in addition
to the above common names as Pepita de San Ignacio and Pepita de
Cabalonga (for _katbolongan_). The natives handle it with the greatest
imprudence, selling everywhere in the markets and in the Chinese
shops, called _tindang-bayang_. It is not only a remedy among them,
but a sort of panacea, to which they attribute, among other virtues,
that of expelling evil spirits, simply worn about the neck. They grate
it with a piece of earthen pot, mix with a little "tuba" vinegar and
apply it to the temples for headache. In bites of poisonous animals
they advise the application of the powdered seed over the wound, a
treatment which instead of being beneficent might easily be harmful
to the patient. Before proceeding further, let us give the chemical
composition of the seeds in order that their uses may be the better
understood.
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