lUrriONARY 01" THE ACTIVE I'KlNCll'LES OF I'LANTS. 



81 



III addition to substances below, the rhizome contains Berberine (see 

 Berberis) and Saponine (see Saponaria). 



(a) PODOPHYLLOTOXIN, C,,.,H.,jO,,+-JH.O, or C,„H,jO„(OCH3)3 + 2H,0 ; 

 cryst;illine ; JI.P. '.13 -'.Ifj ' ; lajvo- rotatory ; slightly acid reaction. 



Soluble in 7,(100 parts water at I:/ C, readily in alcohol, also in chloro- 

 forin. acetone and hot benzene ; with difficulty in cold benzene, ether, or 

 glacial acetic acid ; not in petroleum ether. 

 Reactions : 



Platinum chloride solution, no change. 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, cherry-red, becoming greenish- blue to 



violet. 

 Concentrated hydrochloric acid, red. 



(b) PICROPODOPHYLLIN. isomer of above; differs from it in being less 

 easily soluble m all solvents, and optically inactive. 



(fj PJDOPHYLLO-QUEHCETIN is possibly identical with Quercetin (see 

 Quercus). 



§ 180. POPULUS (Poplar), several (as P. tremula = Aspen, P. alba, 

 P. (irajcu ) ; Siiliraceic ; substance (n). For Salicin, also jiresent. see Salix. 

 Substance ( h) has been found in the buds of several species of Populus, as 

 P. monolifera (P. balsamifera). 



((/) POPULIN G. (Benzoyl Salicin), a,„H,,,Oa or C,.jH,- (aHjOlO, ; 

 crystallizes in needles with 'JH-^O ; M.P. when anhydrous 180°; Uevo- 

 rotatory (the rotatory power is proportional to the amount of Salicin 

 which it would yield on .saponification with potash) ; sweet taste. It 

 decomposes more readily than Salicin, giving Saligenin, sugar, and benzoic 

 acid. 



Soluble in :2,000 parts cold water or 7'J boiling, 100 cold alcohol, also in 

 amyl alcohol, chloroform and glacial acetic acid ; with difficulty in benzene, 

 scarcely in ether. 



Removed from aqueous solutions by amyl alcohol and chloroform, not 

 easily by benzene. 



Reactions : 



Alkaline hydrates, pp. 



[Not precipitated by lead acetate, neutral or basic] 



[No pp. by other metallic salts, Braconnot.] 



Concentrated sulphuric acid, red. 



Acids generally dussolve without decompositionif not too concentrated. 



Fnihde's solution, violet : less intense than with Salicin. 



(/-) CHRYSIN (colouring matter), C,;,H,„Oj; light yellow, glittering 

 crystalline plates ; M.P. 27.')°, with sublimate. 



Soluble in 180 parts cold alcohol or 50 boiling, also in aniline and 

 boiling acetic acid : with difficulty in ether ; scarcely in chloroform, 

 benzene, petroleum ether, or carbon bisulphide ; not in water. 

 Reactions : 



Alkaline hydrates dissolve yellow (acids precipitate). 

 Calcium or barium chloride, yellow crystalline pp. 

 Lead acetate, neutral, alcoholic solution, partial precipitation. 

 Palladious chloride, dirty violet (alcoholic t-olution). 

 i 181. PRUNUS (Plum), Amygdalus amara (Almond), A. pcrsica 

 (Peach I, and various of the Romiafie : Pyrus aria (Beam tree), P. tor- 

 minalis (Wild Service tree) ; see also Pyrus. Gymnemia latifolium, an 

 Indian A.sclepiadea, contains large quantities of Amygdalin. Pygium 

 parvifiorura and latifolium, Vicia sativa (which see), etc., etc. Bitter 

 almonds (from Amygdalus amara), about H to 3 per cent. ; jieach kernels, 

 about :'i per cent. 



AMYGDALIN G., C,„H.,_NOji, or C,„H,jOi ' ^*^g ^^jg^ ; pearly crystals from 



alcohol with 2H.,0, or from water in prisms with )5HoO ; M.P. 120° to 

 clear liquid, at 160° brown with odour of caramel ; neutral reaction, 

 slightly bitter ; Isevo-rotatory, [a]R= — li.')-;') (Bouchardat). Not poisonous 

 in the absence of Emul.sin ; the latter gives rise to prussic acid, sugar, and 

 benzoic aldehyde (almond oil) ; whilst, with dilute acids, the hydric 

 cyanide (prussic acid) is decompo.sed, with production of formic acid and 

 ammonia. 



Soluble in 12 parts water at 10° C, and in all proportions boiling, 148 

 parts cold alcohol of sp. gr. ()■'.)?>'.), or 11 boiling. Insoluble in ether and 

 petroleum ether. 



[Not precipitated by cadmium-potassic iodide.] 

 Concentrated sulphuric acid, dissolves light violet-red. 



;; 182. PUNICA Granatum, L. (Pomegranate) ; Lythraceo: The bark. 

 De Vrij obtained 3'71 per cent, of alkaloidal hydrochlorides from the 

 white-Howering variety, and 2'43 percent, from the red. The following 

 alkaloids have been isolated by Tanret, Coxtjtl. Rend., vols. 88 and Ito. 



{a) PELLETIERINE A. (Punicine), C,H,,NU ; liquid ; B.P. U).''i° ; sp. 

 gr. O'.iss ; alkaline reaction ; absorbs oxygen, becoming resinous ; 

 dextro-rotatory (the sulphate is Isevo-rotatory at ordinary temperatures 

 and inactive at 100" C). Crystalline salts. 



' ^ 11 



