58o BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



15 mm. long; externally yellowish- or brownish-red, glabrous, 

 shiny, somewhat translucent, more or less shriveled ; apex acute, 

 base somewhat rounded ; pericarp coriaceous, thin ; inner surface 

 with two or three distinct longitudinal ridges, longitudinally stri- 

 ate, 2- or 3-locular, dissepiments thin, united below ; seeds 

 10 to 20, campylotropous, irregularly circular or obovate, flat- 

 tened, pointed, about 3 to 4 mm. in diameter, 0.5 mm. thick, edge 

 slightly thickened, embryo curved, embedded in the endosperm; 

 odor distinct ; taste of pericarp pungent, of dissepiments, very 

 pungent. 



Cayenne pepper should yield not less than 15 per cent, of non- 

 volatile ether extract; nor more than 1.5 per cent, of starch; 6.5 

 per cent, of ash. 



Inner Structure. See Figs. 252; 301, C. 



C0NSTITUENT.S. Two crystalline pungent principles which 

 are found principally in the dissepiments of the fruit : capsaicin, 

 which is slightly soluble in water and is volatile at 115 C, 

 forming irritating vapors ; and capsacutin, which is so powerful 

 that I part in 11,000,000 of water has a distinct pungent taste. 

 Capsicum also contains a volatile alkaloid resembling coniine ; a 

 volatile oil with an odor of parsley ; resin ; a small quantity of 

 starch; a fixed oil, consisting of oleic, palmitic and stearic acids; 

 and yields 4 to 6 per cent, of ash. 



Allied Drugs. A capsicum of inferior quality known as 

 Bombay pepper is obtained from plants growing in the vicinity 

 of the River Niger in Africa. The fruits are dull yellow or 

 brown in color, 2 to 3 cm. long and about 10 mm. in diameter. 



Japan pepper resembles the official Cayenne pepper in size. 

 The fruits are of a bright yellowish-red color, and more shiny 

 but not so pungent. Garden or pod-pepper, also known as 

 paprika or Spanish pepper, is the product of Capsicmn annuum, 

 an herb extensively cultivated in Hungary, Italy and Spain, and 

 this kind is recognized by the German Pharmacopoeia. The 

 fruits when fresh are 5 to 10 cm. long. 5 to 7 cm. in diameter, 

 more or less inflated, externally of a bright green, yellow or 

 red color ; the pericarp is 2 to 3 mm. thick, enclosing a large 

 cavity, which has I or 2 dissepiments at the base, and contains 

 numerous flattened seeds about 3 to 5 mm. in diameter. 



