148 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Fourth group, alkaloids aconitin, atisin, and Japaconitin of the aconite 

 group, obtained from several species of Aconitum, as Aconitum Napellus, A. 

 heterophyllum, etc. 



Fifth group, the mydriatic group of alkaloids. The alkaloids of this group 

 are atropin, obtained from Atropa, Belladonna, and Datura; hyoscyamin obtained 

 from Datura, Hyoscyamus, Scopolia, carniolica, and Duboisia (Hyoscin pseu- 

 dohyoscyamin being also obtained from these plants) ; scopolamin from some 

 of the same plants as the preceding; solanin which is, however, regarded as a 

 nitrogenized glucoside, obtained from various species of Solanum ; solanidin 

 with stronger basic properties than solanin, obtained from plants of the same 

 family; cytisin obtained from Laburnum (Cytisus Laburnum} of the family 

 Leguminosae, found also in quite a number of other plants of the same family. 



Sixth group, the Veratrum alkaloids containing the alkaloids jervin, pseudo- 

 jervin cevadin, etc., obtained from various species of Veratrum as V . album, V . 

 viride, etc. 



Seventh group physostigmin, the most important alkaloid of the group de- 

 rived from the Calabar Bean (Physostigma venenosum), and calabarin. 



Eighth group, containing pilocarpin, obtained from the leaves of jaborandi 

 (Pilocarphus pennatifolius} and four other alkaloids, jaborin, pilocarpin, isopilo- 

 carpin, pilocarpin. Jaborandi belongs to the family Rutaceae. 



Ninth group, taxin, obtained from the yew tree (Taxus baccatz). 



Tenth group, the curare alkaloids which are obtained from the Curare plants 

 (Strychnos toxifera and S. Castelnaei of the family Loganiaceae. The alkaloids 

 are tubo-curarin, curin, etc. Protocurin obtained from the latter species is a 

 slightly toxic substance. 



Eleventh group, colchicin alkaloid; this alkaloid is obtained from the seeds 

 and roots of the common meadow-saffron or Colchicum (Colchicum autumnalc). 



Twelfth group, muscarin from the Amanita Muscaria or Fly agaric. 



GLUCOSIDES. 



The glucosides widely distributed in plants are compounds of glucose and 

 organic acids and are certainly of great importance in connection with the 

 poisonous principles found in plants. They have been grouped by Blyth into : 

 A first group the digitalis group, consisting of digitalin, digitonin, and digito- 

 genin, all found in the common fox glove (Digitalis purpurea) ; (2) second 

 group of glucosides acting on the heart and containing antiarin obtainel from 

 Antiaris toxicaria, the upas tree; the helleborin and helleboretin found in Helle- 

 borus niger, H. viridis,, H. foetidus and euonymin, a resinous substance found 

 in Wahoo (Euonymus atropurpureus) which is a powerful heart poison ; the third 

 group containing thevetin, obtained from Thevetia neriifolia; Strophantin from 

 Strophanthus hispidus of the Dogbane Family belong to this group of heart 

 poisons, but it is not a glucoside and only partly crystallizable ; scillain from 

 squill; adonidin from the root of Adonis vernalis of the Crowfoot Family; 

 oleandrin from the Oleander ; neriin also from the Oleander, sometimes called the 

 Oleander digitalin and the poison of the Madagascar Ordeal plant (Tanghinia 

 venenifera}. The fourth group contains the digitalin-like apocynin from the 

 common Dogbane, and other Apocynums; erythrophlein, convallamarin, a gluco- 

 side from the Lily-of-the-valley ; coronillin from Coronilla ; and cheiranthin from 

 Cheranthus. These behave like the Digitalins. 



