MYRTIFLORAE — MYRTLES 637 



been resorted to, injury to the animals not infrequently results; and in the bulletin referred to, 

 Dr. Vasey gives a number of instances in which cattle have died from an accumulation of 

 spines in the mouth and stomach, an effect somewhat comparable with that caused by the awns 

 of Hordetim when cattle feed upon these. 



The eating of the fruit of some species of Opuntia produces diarrhoea. 



Under the name of Pellate (Anhalonium sp.), the Indians of the Rio Grande 

 Valley of Mexico have for ages used the tops of this plant which they commonly 

 call "mescal button" or "mescal bean." The use has extended to Indians in 

 Oklahoma and Indian Territory and, it is said, to the Tama Indians of Iowa. 

 The Kiowa Indians use 14-15 grams (4-5 buttons) to produce the peculiar sen- 

 sations. The so-called mescal beans are 1-1^ inches long and about J4 inch in 

 diameter, brittle when dry, but soft when moistened. They have a bitter, dis- 

 agreeable taste. Prentiss and Morgan were the first to call attention to the 

 character of the drug dried from Anhalonium. During intoxication, the pupils 

 become dilated, there is muscular relaxation, the pulse is somewhat slower, there 

 is loss of sense of time, partial anaesthesia, weakened heart action ; in some 

 nausea and vomiting, and wakefulness. In man the influence has been described 

 as causing an incessant flow of visions of infinite beauty, grandness, and variety 

 of color and form. Intoxication closely resembles that produced by Cannabis 

 indica. Dr. Lewin found that an aqueous extract given to lower animals pro- 

 duced convulsions causing death by respiratory failure. 



The A. Lcwinii contains the alkaloid anhalonin Cj^H^.NO,, incscalin C^, 

 Hj^NOg and anhalonidin C^^H^.NO^- The A. fissuratnm contains pellotin. 

 Although this substance, according to some authors, is inactive, it has been 

 used as a calmative on insane patients and in many cases causes sleep to come 

 on. The cactin found in some species is a cardiac stimulant. It appears also 

 that in addition to the above species the same or allied substances occur in A. 

 prismaticuni, A. WilUamisii and A. Jourdanianuni. 



Anhalonium is closely related to the genus Cactus. It bears a dense penicil- 

 ate tuft of long soft hairs which persist above the apical region of the plant 

 as matted wool. 



According to several recent investigators, especially Kauter and Heyl, alka- 

 loids seem to be widely present in the family Cactaceae. Pectenin is found in a 

 species of Cerens; pilocerein C^^l:l^^N.,0., occurs in Pilocereus Sargentianus; 

 the alkaloid pellotin C^jHj,NN(OCH.,„)OH, is found in species of Anhalon- 

 ium ; and LopJiophorin occurs in Anhalonium Lewinii and allied species. The 

 alkaloidal substances appear to the extent of 1.1 per cent in dried material. A. 

 Lezmnii is a cardiac and respiratory stimulant. Saponin also is found in several 

 species of the family among them in Cereus gummosus. Quite a number of 

 other species of the family are used in medicine. The night-blooming cereus 

 {Cereus grandifloriis) contains a glucoside which acts much like Digitalis. The 

 Opuntia Kanvinskiana contains an astringent principle. Several species such as 

 Rhipsalis and Opuntia have anthelmintic properties. 



MYRTIFLORAE. 



Mostly shrubs or trees. Leaves simple; flowers incomplete; calyx inferior, 

 4-5 lobed or entire ; corolla usually wanting ; stamens twice as many as the calyx 

 lobes or fewer; ovary 1-celled; ovule 1. 



Species of the genus Cuphea of the family Lythraceae are cultivated in the 

 South as border plants; the cape myrtle {Lagcrstrocmia indica) of the East 



