RUTACEAE 583 



ous. Lunsia aniara contains a toxic glucoside. Citric acid is found in fruits 

 of lemons, lime and other members of the genus Citrus. The glucoside hcsperi- 

 din C^.H^„O„,4H„0 occurs in ripe and unripe fruits of Citrus; the resinous 

 principle naringin C^J:l„^0^^ in C. decumana. The essential oil of lemons is 

 one of the terpens Cj^^H^g; the oil of bergamot similar to the preceding is 

 from Bergamot: limettin C,„H,,0^ is the bitter principle of Citrus Medica=^ 

 C. Lintctta. The leaves of Buchu (Barosma crenitlata) act as a mild diuretic. 

 It contains a volatile oil of which 30 per cent is disophenol, also a crystalline 

 glucoside (diosmin). The Commiphora abyssinica contains a volatile oil con- 

 sisting of cuminol and eugenol. Aurantiamaric acid occurs in several species, 

 of Citrus. . . 



SiJiARUEACEAE. Ailanthus Family 



Trees or shrubs with bitter bark; leaves pinnate, alternate, without punctate 

 dots; stipules minute or none; flowers in axillary panicles or racemose clusters; 

 regular, dioecious or polygamous; calyx 3-5 lobed; petals 3-5; stamens of the 

 same number as the petals or twice as many; pistils 2-5 and 1-5 celled; disk 

 elongated or annular. 



A small family of 125 species of warm or tropical regions. The most 

 widely known member of the family in the United States is the tree-of-Heaven 

 or Chinese sumac (Ailanthus glandiilosus) . The quassia (Q. amara) of Guiana 

 is used in fevers and as a substitute for hops to impart bitter flavor to beer. 

 It contains quassia C^H^qO^p a bitter principle. The bark of other plants of 

 the order is bitter, like the siniaruba bark. The cedron (Simaba Ccdron) of 

 Central America is used in the tropics for snake bites. The bitter fruit of 

 Simaba valdivia contain a gulcoside C^gH^^O^p. 



Ailanthus Desf. 



Large trees ; leaves compound, odd-pinnate ; flowers in panicles, greenish 

 white; calyx short, 5-cleft ; 5 spreading petals; disk 10-lobed; 10 stamens of 

 the staminate flowers inserted at the base of the disk; ovary of the pistillate 

 flowers deeply 2-5 cleft, 1-celled; stamens 2-3; winged fruits 2-5. Three species 

 native of China and Eastern Asia. 



Ailanthus glandulosus Desf. Tree-of-Heaven 



A tall tree with ample leaves, smooth or slightly pubescent; 13-41 stalked 

 leaflets ; ovate or ovate-lanceolate flowers, greenish pedicelled, the staminate 

 ones badly scented. 



Distribution. Commonly escaped from cultivation, along roadsides from 

 Southern Ontario to Kansas, Southeast Iowa, hardy as far north as Central 

 Iowa. 



Poisonous properties. The bark is known to be poisonous. Dr. White, 

 in his Dermatitis Venenata states that he read an account in some medical 

 journal of the suspected poisoning by this tree during its flowering season, 

 and the statement was made that a case of marked dermatitis of the face, had 

 been attributed to the emanations of a tree of this species, growing very near 

 the sleeping-chamber of the patient. He records a case where a lady was 

 poisoned by contact with it. Dr. Halsted states that when the flowers are 

 handled they produce an irritation of the skin. 



