IRRITANT POISONS 63 



JATROPA MANIHOT {Tropics). 94. 



TAPIOCA — CASSAVA — MANDIOC PLANT. 



Euphorbiacece. — Herbaceous; perennial; 5-9 ft. — Root very 

 large, cylindrical, yellow, tapering, 3 ft.; filled with milky 

 juice. — Leaves triangular-linear, palmate. — Flowers on stalked 

 panicles, orange. — Fruit glabrous; rough with raised ridges. 



Toxic Principle. — ^ACRID JUICE, also contained in J. 

 Gossypiifolia. 



There was an old man of Tobago 



Who ate tapioca and sago 



Till much to his bliss his physician said this: 



'''' To a leg, Sir, of mutton you may go.''^ 



Lear: " Book of Nonsense.''^ 



PARIS QUADRIFOLIA [British). 95. 



HERB PARIS — FOUR-LEAVED GRASS — ONE BERRY — TRUE LOVE. 



Euphorbiacece. — Leaves ovate, 4 in a whorl below the flower, 

 dark green. — Woods; perennial; 1 ft. — ^May and June; green; 

 berry black. 



Toxic Prmc*:p^e.— PARISTYPHNIN. 



And this reviving herb whose tender green 

 Fledges the river-lip on which we lean — 



Omar Khayyam: " Eubyaat.'' 



MERCURIALIS PERENNIS (British). 96. 



dog's mercury — HERB MERCURY — WILD SPINACH — KENTISH 



BALSAM. 



Euphorbiacece. — Stem simple. — Leaves rough. — Fertile 

 flowers on long stalks. — Woods and thickets; common; 1-2 ft. 

 — perennial. — April and May ; green. 



Toxic Principles. —OIL OF EUPHORBIA, MERCURIALINE, 

 CHOLINE. 



The weed that creeps 

 Along the humblest ground. 



Wordsworth: " To May.'* 



