248 SCIENTIFIC AND APPLIED PHARMACOGNOSY 



slightly irregular in Japanese star anise. (2) The aleurone grains 

 consist of one or two globoids and two or three distinct crystals, 

 occasionally single aggregates from 0.020 to 0.025 mm. in diameter. 

 The Japanese star anise yields 1 per cent of a volatile oil contain- 

 ing eugenol, safrol and shikimmen, the latter being a terpene com- 

 pound. It also contains shikimmin, which forms large crystals 

 that are soluble in alcohol, but insoluble in water, and to which the 

 poisonous properties are due. There has also been isolated a toxic 

 alkaloid, skimmianin. An alcoholic solution of the carpels, upon 

 evaporation, yields numerous crystals of shikimminic acid. 



MONIMIACE4E 



The plants are mostly tropical trees or shrubs having opposite 

 leaves and cymose flowers. They are especially distinguished by the 

 presence of oil secretion cells, which give an aromatic odor and a 

 transparent dotting to the leaves (Fig. 111). These cells are found 

 not only in the leaves, but are distributed among the parenchymatous 

 cells of the axis. In some cases they are colored reddish-brown, 

 due either to tannin or a resinous substance. A number of forms of 

 non-glandular hairs occur, and these are of generic value. Calcium 

 oxalate, when present, is in the form of small acicular or rhombo- 

 hedral crystals, one or more occurring in the same cell; hippocrepian 

 stone cells, i.e., in the shape of a horseshoe are found in the cortex 

 of very many of the genera, and there is usually a continuous scleren- 

 chymatous ring in the pericycle. Neither glandular hairs nor mucil-' 

 age cells are present in this family. 



BOLDUS. Boldo. The dried leaves of Peumus Boldus (Fam. 

 Mommiacese) an evergreen tree indigenous to Chili. 



Description. Broadly elliptical or ovate, 3 to 6 cm. in length, 

 1 to 5 cm. in breadth; summit acute, rounded, emarginate; base 

 acute or more or less rounded; margin entire, distinctly revolute; 

 upper surface light green, with numerous small spherical projections, 

 veins depressed; under surface brownish -green, veins very promi- 

 nent, pubescent, those of the first order diverging at an angle between 

 35 and 45 degrees and uniting with each other 3 to 4 mm. of the 

 margin, surface between the veins minutely and coarsely papillose; 

 petiole 3 to 5 mm. long; texture coriaceous, brittle; odor aromatic; 

 taste aromatic and pungent. 



Inner Structure. See Fig. 111. 



Constituents. A volatile oil, 2 per cent; an alkaloid, Boldine, 

 0.1 per cent, which is bitter, very slightly soluble in water and sol- 



