MELIACEZ. 835 
: : Description.—It is small woody shrub which grows on 
_ the banks of water-courses. in shady places, seldom more than 
trow winged petiole, ?—1 inch long, at the end of which are 
articulated three small cuneate-obovate leaflets. The ends of 
the shoots and buds are seen under the microscope to be 
_ thickly covered with white simple hairs ; the petiole and leaf- 
are nearly free from them. The flowers are large and 
white on. axillary peduncles; the capsules 3-angled and 
3-valved. The drug consists of the: creeping root with - 
the slender stems attached to it, the leaves having been — 
stripped off. 
Microscopic structure—A section of the root presents a 
tolerably thick dry suberous layer of a brown colour; imme- 
diately within this, the parenchyma, which is iin endad of thin 
walled cells, is much loaded with a yellowish oil. In the inner 
portion of the bark the ‘cells contain starch; the wood is very 
hard and of a greenish yellow colour. 
Chemical composition.—The drug has been examined by 
ooper (Pharm. Journ. [3], xviii. 817), who found that the ether 
extract contained an alkaloid, an owidizable fiwed oil and a waz. 
The alkaloid was separated by agitating the extract with | 
diluted sulphuric acid, and the clear colourless solution at 
afforded precipitates by the usual reagents. The alkaloid 
Was left as an seal ao Saiceatd coloured esday of a brittle 
Solutions by tannin, potassio-mercuric iodide, PB 
olyb date of soda, and iodine. It differs from em 
lily forming acicular crystals with acids, and by not 
colour with chlorinated ae and. acetic acid : 
