388 SOLANACEA. 
incompletely divided into two, and in D. Stramonium opens at 
the summit, when ripe, in four regular valves, disclosing a large 
number of flattened, kidney-shaped black or dark brown seeds, 
about:2 lines long and $a line thick. The surface of the seeds 
is finely pitted, and also marked with a much coarser series of 
shallow reticulations. The embryo follows the outline of the 
seed, and has the tip of the radicleeverted. The fruitof D. fas- 
tuosa dehisces i eae when ripe, and the seeds are ear- 
shaped and of a light yellowish-brown colour. The testais much 
thicker than in the seeds of D. Stramonium, but like them is 
reticulated and finely pitted. The seeds of both plants have 
a bitterish taste and disagreeable odour when bruised. The 
fruit and seeds of D. Metel agree nearly with those of 
D. fastuosa. 
Microscopic structure—The outer envelope of the seed is 
formed of alayer of thick-walled, sinuous cells, which in D. 
fastuosa and D, Metel are much more developed than in D. 
Stramonium, and contain secondary deposits ; the inner is formed 
of tangentially extended cells. The albumen consists of poly- 
hedral cells, containing granuler matter and fatty oil. The 
structure of the embryo is similar, but the cells are much 
smaller. 
_. Chemical composition.—Prof. E, Schmidt and Mr. Schutte 
(Apoth. Ztg.1890,511) found the seeds of D. Stramonium to 
‘contain much hyoscyamine with small quantities of atropine 
. hyoscine. M. Gérard (Comptes rendus, Acad. des, Ses, 
1890) has prepared a new fat acid, Daturie acid, from 
‘with petroleum, this oil was of a greenish 
t was a with Biers then the lead 
heved: by. 
