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70 POISONOUS PLANTS 



The berries, which are black, are purgative, as 

 the above name implies. They have been used for 

 colouring wine, but at the same time they render 

 it harmful. 



Alder Buckthorn (R. Frangula)} — It has 

 been found that the berries of this second species 

 appear to exceed those of the first in super- 

 purgation ; for a small boy who ate them suffered 

 from headache, vertigo, unconsciousness, convul- 

 sions of the extremities, face, etc. ; sufficiently 

 alarming as a warning against eating the berries. 



An important use of the berries of different 

 species is for dyeing. Thus the juice of those of 

 R. catharticus when unripe yields a saffron colour ; 

 but when ripe they supply the " sap-green " 

 of painters. The berries of a foreign species, 

 R. infectoriiiSy called Graines d' Avignon, or " French 

 berries," give a rich yellow colour. Those of our 

 British species, R. Frangtila, when unripe, dye wool 

 both yellow and green, but when ripe both blue 

 and green. 



One foreign species known as " Cascara Sagrada " 

 {R. Purshianus) is used in medicine ; but all species 

 of Buckthorn are purgative. 



Pea Family {Legtiminosce). — This is a very 

 large family, but all our British plants are easily'- 

 known by the peculiar form of the flower. They 



* This species has entire leaves, i. e. without a toothed 

 margin ; and flowers with both stamens and pistil. 



