74 MEDICINAL HEKBS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



stalks ■ united to form a hollow tube (fig. 42). Inside 

 tills stamlnal tube is situated the |)i^ti], which in this 

 case is made up of only one carpel. Lastly, the fruit is 

 characteristic, being a pod showing one cavity inside 

 of which is a single row of seeds. A Pea -pod is a 

 familiar example. All the other species have similar 

 fruits, though naturally there are differences in size, 



colour, texture, &c. 



Laburnum (see Chapter 



X). 



Broom {Cytistts sco- 



parius). — Superficially it 

 is not easy to distinguish 

 the Broom from the La- 

 burnum when the latter 

 ■Jft^TTuv- is a small shrub, but the 



Broom has stiff green 

 hrandtes and small leaves, 

 both features beinsr suffi- 



„ . J&M£?tX 



Fig. 



ciently uncommon to per- 

 Soction of Leguminous Flower ^it of the immediate iden- 

 tification of the plant. 

 Powonoits Properties. — When Broom tops are eaten 

 by sheep they produce excitation and, later, stupefaction. 

 This is caused by a very poisonous and narcotic prin- 

 ciple in the tops called sparteine, and to another poison- 

 ous substance called scoparin. 



These poisonous principles are 



opert 



very valuable medicinally because they increase the 

 action of the bowels and of the kidneys, and are of 

 great use in certain complaints. 



Distrihition, — Fouiid wild in apen country, particu- 

 larly in gravelly soils. 



Collection. — Young shoots arc cut in 3Iay. 



LuFiN (Ii(jnnu8).— This garden plant is recognized by 



