ROSACEAE 505 



berry (Fragaria vesca, F. virginiana, var. Illinoensis), the F. chilocnsis, native 

 to Chili and the Pacific coast (the common garden strawberry is a modified 

 form of the Chilian strawberry), and the Indian strawberry (Duchesnea indica). 

 We may also mention the wild northern plum (Prunus americana), the Chick- 

 asaw plum (P. angustifolia), European garden plum (P. domcstica), sand 

 cherry (P. piunila and P. Besseyi) ; the cherries, English cherry (P. aviuni), 

 naturalized in the southern states, especially in Virginia and Maryland, the sour 

 cherry (P. Cerasus), also naturalized in the East and extensively cultivated, the 

 wild red cherry (P. pennsylvanica), commonly used in the north, the Japanese 

 plum (P. triflora), the apricot (P. armeniaca), peach (P. persica), almond (P. 

 Amygdalus) flowering almond (P. nana), wild red raspberry (Rubus idaeus 

 var. aculeatissimus) , black raspberry (R. occidentalis), garden raspberry of Eu- 

 rope (R. Idaeus), salmon berry (R. parviflorus) , dewberry (R. cuneifolius) 

 and the wineberry of Japan (R. phoenicolasius) . The fruit of the Icaco plum 

 (Chrysobolanus Icaco) of tropical America is edible. The wood of the wild 

 black cherry (P. scroiina) takes an excellent finish, and therefore is highly de- 

 sirable for cabinet making and for interior finishing of houses. The wood of 

 other species of the genus is used in the manufacture of pipes and furniture. 

 Most of the plants of the order contain no injurious substances. Malic acid 

 C 4 H 6 O. occurs in the fruit of the cherry (Prunus Cerasus), plum (P. domes- 

 tica), the apple (Pyrus Mains'), the strawberry (Fragaria virginiana), (F. 

 vesca), etc. Salicylic acid C 7 H 6 O 3 occurs in the fruit of the strawberry, citric 

 acid in Rubus, the strawberry and Prunus domestica. The Quillaja Saponaria 

 contains saponin, the bark yielding 2 per cent. Kobert distinguishes two sub- 

 stances quillajic acid C 19 H go O ]0 and sapotoxin C 17 H 26 O 10 . 



The glucoside amygdalin was first obtained in 1830 by Robiquet and Boutron 

 from the seeds of the bitter almond. Liebig and Woehler named the substance 

 which converts the amygdalin into the so-called essence of bitter almonds, emul- 

 sin. They found that through the action of emulsin, sugar and prussic acid 

 were formed. The name synaptase was given to emulsin. 



C^NOn + 2H 2 = C 7 H 6 + HCN + 2C o H 12 O 6 - 

 Amygdalin Benzoic Prussic Glucose 



aldehyde acid 



Emulsin can also convert salicin, helicin, phlorizin, and arbutin. The change 

 in arbutin is as follows : 



C 12 H 16 7 + H S = C 6 H 6 2 + C 6 H 12 6 . 

 Arbutin Hydroquinon Glucose 



In the cherry leaves emulsin occurs in the leaves and younger branches. Emulsin 

 also occurs in Pcnicillium glaucum and Aspergillus niger. 



The Kooso (Brayera anthelminlica) is a large dioecious ornamental tree 

 from Abyssinia. The drug comes from the pistillate flowers which have a tea- 

 like odor but a bitter, nauseous taste and contain ctiscoto.vin which is a muscle 

 poison, protocosin and cosin which is bitter and acrid. In medicine it is used 

 as a taeniafuge but in large doses produces vomiting and colic. Agrimonia 

 gryposepala, Gillenia stipulacea, and Geum urbanum are used as astringents. 

 The roots of the water, avens (Geum rivale) are tonic and powerfully astringent. 

 The soap-bark (Quillaja Saponaria) of Peru and Chili is used as an expectorant 

 and is an irritant poison. According to Schneider who investigated a great 

 many of the saponins which occur injuriously in about fifty families, they act 



