PAPAVER 263 



PARA-COTO. Cortex Coto Para, Para-coto Bark. A bark of 

 unknown origin and apparently derived from Palicurea densiflora 

 (Fam. Rubiacese), a tree indigenous to Bolivia. It resembles Coto 

 bark and has a grayish or whitish periderm. The fracture is not so 

 splintery, the odor is less aromatic, and the taste not so pungent. 

 It contains paracotoin, which resembles cotoin in its physiological 

 action; alsohydrocotoin; protocotoin; methyl-hydrocotoin; methyl- 

 protocotoin, diperonylic acid and tannic acid. 



False coto bark is obtained from Cryptocarya pretiosa (Fam. 

 Sapotacese), a tree growing in the Amazon district. It occurs in 

 pieces about 15 cm. in length, 5 cm. in width and 7 mm. in thickness; 

 externally light brown and without cork; fracture short, fibrous; 

 internally brown with yellowish groups of stone cells, which are 

 arranged in radial rows, thus distinguishing this bark from true coto 

 bark. The odor is slight, resembling cinnamon. It contains a 

 brownish-yellow volatile oil, with an odor suggestive of cinnamon,, 

 but it does not contain any cinnamic aldehyde. It also contains 

 0.145 per cent of an alkaloid. 



PAPAVERACE^E, OR POPPY FAMILY 



A small family of about 200 species occurring most abundantly 

 in north temperate regions. They are especially characterized by 

 their milky and frequently yellowish colored latex, which arises either 

 in laticiferous vessels or in special laticiferous sacs. The former 

 are found in Papaver, and consist of tubes formed as a result of the 

 fusion of cells in close proximity to each other, the dividing walls 

 having become absorbed. The laticiferous sacs, which are present 

 in Chelidonium, are either spheroidal or more or less cylindrical and 

 elongated cells, having very thin walls and occur either isolated or 

 arranged in longitudinal chains. The tracheae in this family are 

 marked by simple pores. Calcium oxalate does not occur, except in 

 Bocconia. Non-glandular hairs, when present, consist of a chain of 

 cells. Glandular hairs have not been observed in this family. 



PAPAVER. Papaveris Fructus, Papaveris Immaturi, Poppy 

 Capsules. The full-grown unripe fruits of Papaver somniferum 

 and the varieties album and nigrum (Fam. Papaveracese). These 

 are annual, herbaceous plants, indigenous to the countries bordering 

 the eastern Mediterranean and extensively cultivated in warm and 

 temperate zones. They occur in a great many forms and varieties, 

 and the capsules of the white variety are usually gathered. It is 

 cultivated for the drug Opium as well as the seeds, which contain a 



