* 



CHEMICAL BASIS OF PLANT FORMS 249 



On plane i are all plants of simplicity of floral elements, or 

 parts; for example, the black walnut with the simple flower 

 contained in a catkin. 



On plane 2, plants which have a multiplicity of floral ele- 

 ments, as the many petals and stamens of the rose ; and finally, 

 the higher plants, the orchids among the monocotyledons, and 

 the Composite among the dicotyledonous plants, come under 

 the third division of condensation of floral elements. 



It will be impossible to take up in order for chemical con- 

 sideration all these groups, and I shall restrict myself to point- 

 ing out the occurrence of certain constituents. 



I desire now to call attention to chemical groups under the 

 apetalous plants having simplicity of floral elements. 



Cassuarina equisetijolia 1 possibly contains tannin, since it 

 is used for curing hides. The bark contains a dye. It is said to 

 resemble Equisetum 2 in appearance, and in this latter plant 

 a yellow dye is found. 



The Myrica 3 contains ethereal oil, wax, resin, balsam, in 

 all parts of the plant. The root contains, in addition, fats, tan- 

 nin and starch, also myricinic acid. 



In the willow and poplar, 4 a crystalline, bitter substance, 

 salicin or populin, is found. This may be considered as the 

 first appearance of a real glucoside, if tannin be excluded from 

 the list. 



The oak, walnut, beech, alder, and birch contain tannin 

 in large quantities; in the case of the oak ten to twelve per 

 cent. Oak galls yield as much as seventy per cent. 5 



The numerous genera of pine and fir trees are remarkable 

 for ethereal oil, resin, and camphor. 



The plane 6 trees contain caoutchouc and gum; peppers, 7 



1 Dictionary of Economic Plants, by J. Smith, London, 1882, p. 294. 



2 Ibid., p. 160. Pharmakognosie des Pflanzenreichs, Wittstein, p. 736. Ann. 

 Chem. Pharm., LXXVII, 295. 



3 Rabenhorst, Repert. Pharm., Ix, 214. Moore, Chem. Centralbl., 1862, 

 779, Dana. 



4 Johansen, Arch. Pharm., Ill, ix, 210. Ibid., Ill, ix, 103. Bente, Berl. 

 Ber., viii, 476. Braconnot, Ann. Chim. Phys., II, xliv, 296. 



5 Wittstein, Pharm. des Pflanzenreichs, p. 249. 



6 John, ibid., p. 651. 



7 Dulong, Oersted, Lucas, Poutet, ibid., p. 640. 



