GALEGA 345 



with sharp attenuated ends and very thick, non-lignified walls; med- 

 ullary rays 1 to 2 cells wide, having thick porous walls and containing 

 numerous starch grains; starch-bearing parenchyma; fragments of 

 yellowish-brown cork, the walls becoming faintly cherry-red upon 

 the addition of a solution of phloroglucin and hydrochloric acid. 



Constituents. A crystalline alkaloid, cytisine (baptitoxine), 

 which is very soluble in water and alcohol and is almost insoluble in 

 ether and chloroform. It also occurs in Laburnum (Cytisus Labur- 

 num). It also contains baptin, which forms acicular crystals and is 

 purgative; and about 6 per cent of baptisin which occurs in crystals 

 and appears to be a glucoside. 



GALEGA. Herba Galegae, European Goat's Rue. The dried 

 flowering tops of Galega officinalis (Fam. Leguminosse, sub-fam. 

 Papilionacese), a perennial herb common in southern Europe and to 

 some extent cultivated. The tops are gathered in July and August, 

 at the time of the flowering of the plant, and carefully dried. 



Description. Stem cylindrical, hollow, from 2 to 5 mm. in diam- 

 eter, pale green or greenish-brown, distinctly longitudinally ribbed or 

 furrowed; leaves odd-pinnate, leaflets nearly sessile, elliptical, entire 

 and mucronate tipped, from 10 to 40 mm. in length and from 5 to 12 

 mm. in width, of a light green or greenish-brown color, nearly glab- 

 rous; flowers about 15 mm. in length, white or violet-blue and borne 

 in racemes; calyx tube about 4 mm. in length and with long, bristly 

 pointed teeth; corolla papilionaceous; fruit a flat, linear legume 

 from 2 to 4 cm. in length and from 2 to 4 mm. in width with a very 

 sharp, bristly pointed or thread-like summit; seeds from 4 to 6 in 

 each legume, broadly elliptical, compressed from 2 to 4 mm. in 

 length, brownish-black in color; odor slight; taste slightly bitter. 



Constituents. A bitter piinciple and tannic acid. 



Melilotus. HERBA MELILOTI, YELLOW MELILOT, YELLOW 

 SWEET CLOVER. The dried leaves and flowering tops of Melilotus 

 officinalis (Fam. Leguminosse, sub-fam. Papilionacese), a biennial 

 herb indigenous to Europe and common in waste places throughout 

 the United States. 



Description. Stem from 2 to 5 mm. in thickness, longitudinally 

 furrowed, light olive-green and nearly glabrous, or the young twigs 

 finally pubescent; leaves trifoliate, having petioles from 5 to 10 mm. 

 in length, the leaflets obovate-oblong, summit rounded 'or obtuse 

 margin closely serrate; flowers in small spike-like racemes; corolla 

 papilionaceous, when fresh yellow, on drying, yellowish-brown, and 

 about 3 mm. in length ; pods ovoid, about 4 mm. in length, scarcely 

 dehiscent and containing 1 or 2 seeds; odor fragrant, resembling 

 coumarin; taste slightly bitter and pungent. 



