342 BOTANY AND PHARAIACOGNOSY. 



a. CACTACE^ OR CACTUS FAMILY. This is a remark- 

 able family of succulent plants growing largely in the arid regions 

 of Mexico, Brazil and other parts of America. The stems are 

 more or less flattened, terete or tuberculated, in some cases becom 

 ing branched and woody. The leaves are reduced to scales, b 

 are sometimes larger, more or less cylindrical or dorsiventral, and 

 usually drop off sooner or later. In the axils of the leaves or leaf- 

 scars there are usually groups of hairs and spines. The flowers 

 are mostly solitary, sessile, perfect, regular and conspicuous. The 

 fruit is usually a fleshy berry, the fruits of a number of species 

 being edible. 



Quite a number of the Cacti have been used in medicine, the 

 one most commonly employed being the Night-blooming Cereus 

 {Cereus grandi-ftorns) , which is extensively cultivated on account 

 of its flowers. The flowers and fresh stems are the parts used. 

 They contain several acrid principles including probably an alka- 

 loid and a glucoside, the drug resembling in its action digitalis. 



Mescal buttons (Anhaloniitm) , are the dried tops of several 

 species of Lophophora growing in Northern Mexico. The main 

 axis of the plant is under the ground and produces at certain 

 points small aerial shoots which are more or less button-shaped 

 or disk-like, being about 20 to 50 mm. in diameter. In the center 

 of the disk occur tufts of hairs which vary in the different species, 

 and among which are usually found one or more pinkish flowers. 

 The drug has been used like Night-blooming Cereus, and con- 

 tains several alkaloids, namely, anhalonine (similar to pellotine), 

 mescaline, anhalonidine and lophophorine. Alkaloidal principles 

 are also found in other members of this family. 



The sap of several species of Cereus of the Antilles has anthel- 

 mintic properties, as also that of certain species of Rhipsalis and 

 Opuntia. A caoutchouc-like exudation is obtained from Opuntia 

 vulgaris and other species of Opuntia growing in the West Indies. 

 An astringent principle is found in the root and bark of Opuntia 

 Kariviuskiana of Mexico. A tragacanth-like gum is found in 

 Peireskia Guacamacho of Venezuela, Opuntia rubcscens of Brazil 

 and 0. Tuna of the West Indies, Mexico and South America. An 

 alcoholic beverage is made by the Indians of Sonora from the 

 fruit-juice of Cereus Thunhergii. 



