106 
terate fermented liquors, as is often reported. The seeds are 
intensely bitter and very acrid. M. Boullay analyzed them, and 
found them to contain about half their weight of a concrete waxy 
oil, albumen, a particular colouring matter, a new bitter poisonous 
principle, Picrotoxia Lignin, and various new saline matters. 
In later experiments M. Boullay detected a peculiar acid, to 
which he has given the name of Menispermic. Picrotoxia is 
obtained by digesting for a day a decoction of the berry upon 
caustic magnesia. It is then to be treated with alcohol, which 
„dissolves out the picrotoxia, and this may be purified by evapora- 
tion and repeating the solution, and if much coloured, by the addi- 
tion of animal charcoal. It has the form of quadrangular prisms, 
white, brilliant, semi-transparent, and extremely bitter; it is 
soluble in three parts of alcohol, in 25 of boiling, and 50 of cold 
water. It melts by heat, and contains-no azote. Vauquelin got 
a substance very similar from the Daphne alpina. Picrotoxia 
resembles camphor in its action, but is much more powerful and 
deleterious. The extract has been lately recommended by M. 
Fouquier of Paris in paralysis, but Dr. Duncan of Edinburgh 
tried it, and found it less energetic than considering its nature 
and the small proportion of extract obtained he expected. It 
seemed to act as a tonic, and to keep the bowels in a good state, 
but he observed it had no narcotic or stimulant effects. An 
ointment made with it has long been a domestic remedy in some 
places to kill vermin on the head, and is successfully applied in 
eases of tinea of the head. Perhaps the berries of several Indian 
species of this genus possess the same quality. 
Cork-barked Cocculus. Fl.? Clt. 1790. Shrub tw. 
17 C. Pruxene ti (D. C. syst. 1. p. 520.) leaves ovate, 
somewhat cordate at the base, bluntly truncate and mucronate at 
the apex ; female racemes axillary, simple, rather longer than 
the leaves. h.™.S. Native of Malabar and Java. C. offi- 
cinarum, Pluk. mant. 52. t. 345. f. 7. Menispérmum Cocculus, 
Willd. 4. p. 826. The berries are in bunches like grapes, but 
smaller ; first white, then red, and finally blackish purple. In 
the East Indies they are made into a paste which is used to in- 
toxicate fish and birds, &c. 
Plukenet’s Cocculus. Fl.? Clt. 1790. Shrub cl. 
18 C. Aristoto cuie (D. C. syst. 1. p. 520.) leaves cordate, 
blunt, mucronate, entire; female peduncles 1-flowered, shorter 
than the petioles. k. |. S. Native of Madras.—Pluk. alm. 
t. 13. f. 2. 
Aristolochia-leaved Cocculus. Shrub cl. 
19 C. piave’scens (D. C. syst. 1. p. 520.) leaves somewhat 
cordate, ovate, bluntly-acuminated, younger ones orbicular, 
pubescent ; female racemes panicled, lateral, longer than the 
leaves. kh. J. S. Native of the Moluccas on rocks by the 
sea-shore.—Rumph. amb. 5. p. 38. t. 24. Menispérmum flavés- 
cens, Lam. dict. 4. p. 100. Flowers small, white, sweet-scented. 
Fruit of a dirty yellow colour ; they are used to poison fish. A 
decoction of the wood is used against the jaundice, white phlegm, 
and indigestion, in the Moluccas. (Rumph.) 
Yellonish-fruited Cocculus. Fl. Sept. Shrub cl. 
20 C. crav'cus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 521.) leaves heart-shaped, 
acuminated, entire, under surface pubescent; peduncles race- 
mosely-corymbose, shorter than the petioles. k.. S. Native 
of Amboyna in sunny valleys and deserted gardens.—Rumph. 
_ amb. 5. p. 40. t. 25. f. 1. Menispérmum glaticum, Lam. dict. 4. 
p- 100. Flowers small, yellowish-green. Berries small, blackish- 
purple. 
Glaucous-\eaved Cocculus. Fl. Jul. Shrub cl. 
21 C. crr'srus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 521.) leaves cordate, acumi- 
nated, smooth ; stem somewhat angular, and rough with roundish 
tubercles; racemes simple, slender, lateral. h. vu: S. Native 
of Java, Sumatra, Moluccas, and Bengal, and from thence tran- 
sported to Amboyna and Bali.—Colebr. in Lin. soc. trans: 13. 
1 
'pérmum hirsùtum, Roxb. citing Willd. spec. 4. p. 829. 
MENISPERMACEÆ. VII. CoccuLus. 
p. 6. t. 17. f. 3.—Rumph. amb. 5. p. 83. t. 44. f. 1. Menispér- 
mum críspum, Lin. spec. 1468. The whole plant is bitter, and 
is used in the Moluccas against gripings of the abdomen, and to 
kill vermin. It is considered by the natives of Bengal a power- 
ful tonic, and is very highly valued by them. 
Curled Cocculus, Fl.? Clt. 1822. Shrub cl. 
22 C. ramorpes (D.C. syst. 1. p. 521.) leaves very entire, 
truncate or cordate at the base, ovate, pointed, 5-nerved, smooth; 
male racemes slender, a little longer than the leaves. kh. ^. 5. 
Native of Cayenne. Similar to C. Carolinus, but differing in the 
leaves being smooth and the racemes much longer. 
Tamus-like Cocculus. Shrub tw. 
23 C. Cuonpope’NpRon (D. C. syst. 1. p. 522.) leaves cor- 
date, much crenated, acuminated, under surface tomentose. h. 
u: S. Native of South America in Pilaya. Chondodéndron to- 
mentdsum, Ruiz. et Pav. prod. fl. per. 132. syst. 261. Epiba- 
tèrium ? tomentdsum, Pers. ench. 2. p. 561. The bark of this 
species is exceedingly bitter. 
Lump-tree Cocculus. Fl. Oct. Nov. Shrub cl. 
24 Č. inca'nvus (Coleb. in Lin. trans. 13. p. 57. t. 17. f. 1.) 
leaves cordate, entire, villous, mucronate; panicles axillary, 
shorter than the leaves. k.. S. Native of Chitagong and 
Silhet in Bengal. Menispérmum villésum, Roxb. mss. Flowers 
yellowish-green, inodorous. 
Hoary-leaved Cocculus. Fl. year. Clt. 1820. Shrub cl. 
25 C. se rium (Coleb. in Lin. soc. trans. 13. p. 58. t. 17. f. 2) 
leaves from broad cordate to linear cordate, downy ; male flowers 
in racemes; female ones axillary, solitary. h. s S. Mems- 
Native 
of the East Indies. Very common in hedges. 
Hedge Cocculus. Clt. 1820. Shrub cl. 
26 C. romento'sus (Coleb. in Lin. soc. trans. 13. p. 59.) 
leaves roundish-cordate, 3-lobed, tomentose; racemes axillary, 
generally simple, one, two, or more together ; corollas expand- 
ing; nectarial scales entire. h.. S. Native of Bengal m 
thickets and hedges. Menispérmum tomentòsum, Roxb. mss. 
Tomentose Cocculus. Fl. Feb. March. Clt. 1820. Shrub e 
27 C. nexa’cynus (Coleb. in Lin. soc. trans. 13. p. 63.) old 
leaves cordate, younger ones parabolic, entire, upper surface 
smooth, under surface rather hairy; racemes axillary and ter 
minal, panicled, villous ; pedicels 3-flowered. h. ©. G. Na- 
tive of China near Canton. Menispérmum hexágynum, Roxb. 
mss. Flowers small, white. 
Six-styled Cocculus. Shrub tw. 
28 C. Baxntame'ysis (Blum. bijdr. fl. ned. ind. ex Schlecht. 
Linnæa. 1. p. 498.) leaves somewhat cordate-oval, acute, gener 
ally 5-nerved, smooth, quite entire; panicles elongated, axillary; 
solitary. kh. |. S. Native of Java. Menispérmum Banta- 
mense, Spreng. syst. app. p. 148. : l 
Bantam Cocculus. Shrub cl. 
29 C. masra`rus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 522.) leaves cordate at the 
base, hastate, villous beneath ; auricles blunt, drawn out a little 
beyond the auricles at the apex ; petioles villous, six times shorte! 
than the leaves. h. ^. S. Native of the East Indies. Menis- 
pérmum hastàtum, Lam. dict. 4. p. 98. 
Halbert-\eaved Cocculus. Shrub tw. 
30 C. tri'Losus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 522.) leaves 3-lobed; 
nerved, villous; lobes acute, mucronate, entire ; petioles reflex 
at the base; peduncles racemose, shorter than the petioles: 
h.%.G. Native of Japan near Nagasaki. Menispérmum t" 
lobum, Thunb. fl. jap. 194. The whole plant is villous. Flowers 
whitish. Berries globose, 1-seeded, about the size of a § 
pea. 
Three-lobed-leaved Cocculus. Fl. Sep. Oct. Shrub tw- i 
31 C. rarma'rus (D. C. syst. 1. p. 522.) leaves cordate ® 
the base, palmately-5-cleft, covered with hispid hairs, 10 
