POISONS ACTING ON THE HEART 21 



PRUNUS AMABA {Cultivated in Britain). 35. 



BITTER ALMOND. 



Rosacece. — Tree; bark pale brown. — Leaves alternate; lan- 

 ceolate; sharply serrate. — Flowers nearly sessile on last year's 

 branches ; appear before leaves ; calyx reddish ; petals 5 ; pink ; 

 stamens 30. — Fruit a drupe ; 1| ins. ; ovoid ; with furrow on side ; 

 downy. — Seed solitary (seed of " Amara " somewhat smaller 

 than the best varieties of " Dulcis "). — March {Fatalities.) 



Toxic Principle. — PRUSSIC ACID, also contained in seeds of 

 P. americana, P. avium, P. claudiana, P. insitia, P. lusitanica, 

 P. padus, P. serotina, P. spinosa, P. domestica, Persica vulgaris, 

 Armeniaca vulgaris, Lotus arabicus, Laurus nobilis. 



Another will entice me on, and on 

 Through almond-blossoins . . . 



Keats: " Sleep and Poetry.'^ 



PHASEOLUS LUNATUS {India). 36. 



HIBBERT BEAN — SUGAR BEAN — LIMA KIDNEY BEAN — POIS 

 D'aCHERY — JAVA BEAN — HARICOT DU CAP. 



Leguminosce. — Twining, herbaceous, biennial. — Flowers 4-5 

 on a raceme; keel with style and stamens spirally twisted; 

 calyx campanulate ; 5-toothed ; corolla papilionaceous, white ; 

 July. — Legume scimitar-shaped, smooth, compressed, many- 

 seeded; hilum of seed oval-oblong. — Leaves pinnately tri- 

 foliate; leaflets with partial stipules; racemes axillary; 

 pedicels in pairs. 



ToxicPrinciples.—VRUSSlC ACID, PHASEOLUVATIN. 



Soon as the pea puts on the bloom. — Michael Bruce: " To the Cuckoo.'' 



-LATHYRUS APHACA {British). 37. 



YELLOW VETCHLING — YELLOW-FLOWERED PEA. 



Leguminosce. — Leaves usually absent, stipules very large and 

 leaf -like; sagittate; glaucous.— Fields ; rare; 1-2 ft.— annual. 

 — June-August; yellow. 



Toxit Principle.— PRUSSIC ACID, also contained in L. 

 cicera, L. clymenum. 



A foul first steam of trodden «ares.— Swinburne: " Phcedra.'' 



