658 



BOTANY 



PART II 



summit into four valves. The first terminal flower is developed early, and the 

 plant then exhibits profuse dichasial branching. Since the subtending leaves are 

 adherent to the axillary shoots, which as a rule develop equally, the branching 

 appears to be extra-axillary, a terminal flower or fruit being situated in the fork. 

 Nicotiana tahacum (Figs. 700, 701) is a South American plant with numerous 

 cultivated varieties, which are grown both in Europe and the tropics. Its large 

 alternate leaves, which bear numerous glandular hairs, form, after being dried and 

 prepared, tobacco. N. rustica, Tree-tobacco. Flowers elongated and tubular, borne 



Fio. 699. — Solanmn dulcumara (i nat. size). Porsoxous. 



in terminal panicles. Hyosajamus niijer, the Henbane (Fig. 703), is an annual 

 plant occurring in Central Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia. The radical 

 leaves have long stalks, those of the flowering stem are sessile ; they are all clothed 

 with glandular hairs. Flowers slightly zygomorphic, of dull yellowish-violet colour 

 witl) darker markings ; inflorescence, a cincinnus. Fruit a pyxidium. Petunia 

 and Salpiglossis are favourite garden- plants with obliquely zygomorphic flowers. 



All Solanaceae are more or less poisonous partly on account of the i)resence of 

 considerable amounts of alkaloids or poisonous glucosides. Species of kiulanum, 

 Alropa, Datura, Hyoscyamus, and Nicotiana are among the most poisonous plant.s 

 met with' in this country. 



Official. — Ca2mcuiii minimicm yields capski fructus, Atropa belladonna 



