530 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



branches, found in tropical eastern Africa, is used in medicine as an astringent. 

 Under another name, Cutch, it is used in medicine because of its astringent 

 properties. The resin from Cutch is made into cakes used for dj'eing 

 and tanning. Cutch contains catechol C^H„0„ and catcchutannic acid. 



Fig. 289. Copaiba Balsam {Copaifera officinalis). 

 ally. (After Faguet.) 



Used medicin- >•;? " 



Gum tragacanth {Astragalus gummifer) native to western Asia, is a spiny 

 shrub with yellow flowers and is used to give consistency to lozenges ; il con- 

 tains traganthin, C^HyO,^ and arabin. 



Poisonous and medicinal plants. Most of the substances occurring in the 

 poisonous plants arc mentioned under the species described. Many of the 

 Lcguminosae contain alkaloids; few of these are, however, found in Mimoseae, 

 although alkaloids have been found in Acacia tenerrima, Albizzia lucida, and 

 Pithccolohium Soman which are Mimosae. Of the Papilionaccae, the Sophoreae, 

 Podalyrieae and Gcnistcae frequently contain alkaloids. Ulexin, found in seed 

 of the Ulcx europaeus, sophorin, in Sophora speciosa, and haptitoxiu arc identical 

 with cytisin. Motrin C H^^N.,0, an alkaloid, resembling lupanin occurs in the 

 root of Sophora augustifoli.a Anagyrin C^,\\^^0^, and cytisin, both occur in 

 the seeds of Anagyris foetida, Baptisia and many other genera. 



