470 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



as the petals; pistil 1; stigma large, flat, sessile; fruit a large fleshy berry, 

 1-celled and many-seeded, each seed enclosed in a pulpy aril. 



4 species, one in eastern North America and the others in India and Eastern 

 Asia. The P. emodi of Asia contains the same principles as the American species 

 and is poisonous. 



Podophyllum peltatum L. Mandrake 



Perennial herb, with creeping rootstocks and thick fibrous roots; flowering 

 stems with 2-leaves, 1 -flowered, the flower bud with 3 small green bractlets, 

 which fall away early; calyx of 6 unequal sepals, corolla white, of 6-9 petals, 

 about twice the length of the sepals; stamens 12-18, twice the number of petals, 

 inserted below the pistils, with short stamens; anther cells opening longitudin- 

 ally;, creeping rootstock, from 1-5 feet long, fibrous rooted. 



Poisonous properties. Its medicinal virtues were well known to the Indians 

 of North America, and an early writer, Catesby, remarked that the root was an 

 excellent emetic. It has a bitter, acrid taste, similar to that of roots of other 

 plants of the family. Its active properties seem to reside in the resinous sub- 

 stance. Prof. Power failed to find an alkaloid. The name podophyllin has been 

 given to the product found in the resinous substance contained in other members 

 of the family. This in turn contains podophyllotoxin Cj^Hj^02-|-2H20, and 

 picropodophyllin Cj^HgOj-j-H^O, producing a very bitter taste; and intensi- 

 fying the action of podophyllin. Berberin C^qH^^NO^, which is feebly toxic to 

 man, and saponin have also been found. Cases of poisoning have occasionally 



Fig. 241. Mandrake (Podophyllum 

 powerfully purgative. (Ada Ilayden). 



peltatum). 



