124 MEDICINAL HERBS AND POISONOUS PLANTS 



The cultivation of the herb is a vciy easy matter, and 

 in many cases the difficulty is to prevent it from spread- 

 ino- over the whole garden, after it has once got a good 

 start; the smallest bit of root left in the ground will 

 grow, and raise a fresh colonj^ The leaves are collected 

 in May, and the roots in July. 



Alkaxet or BuGLoss (Anchusa).~The Alkanet root 

 of the pharmacists is the dried root of AncJaisa tinduria, 

 a native of Southern Europe and Hunoary. The two 



British representatives are the Evergreen Alkanet {A n 

 cliiisa sempervirens) and the Common Alkanet (Anchusa 

 officinalis). They are not used medicinally, but a red 

 substance is extracted from them which is used as a dye- 

 Convolvulaceae.— The Bindweed Family. Of very little 

 importance. Most of the members of this familj' have 



an acrid taste, and exude a milky fluid when bruised; 



cattle will not touch the plants. Taken internally they 

 act as purgatives. 



Solanaceae.— The Potato Family. This is an extremely 

 important family, embracing in its fold some of the 

 deadliest of poisonous plants, some of the most valuable 

 of medicinal plants, and likewise some which provide 

 the most nutritious of foods. 



The identification of the order is best attained by 

 carefully following the rules for guidance set forth on 

 p. 151. A plant with fused petals, a superior ovavy, and 

 a regular corolla is either a member of the Solanacefe or 

 of the Convolvulaceae. As all the species included in the 

 latter order are either twining or prostrate herbs, it is 

 not difficult to distinguish between these two orders. 



country, all 



There 



of which call for careful consideration: 



■ 1. Solanum. The Nightshade. 

 2. Atropa. The Deadly Niglitshade. 

 8. Hyoscyamas. The Henbane. 



