HENBANE 593 



fruit (pyxis) is almost completely enclosed by the calyx tube (Fig. 

 252, B). A very few glandular hairs with a 1- or 2-celled stalk and 

 2- to 6-celled head may be present occasionally (Fig. 252, H). In 

 addition to tracheae with annular and spiral markings, and simple 

 pores there are in the stem, trachea with reticulate markings, but 

 those with bordered pores do not occur. The crystals of calcium 

 oxalate resemble those in belladonna. In glycerin preparations 

 spherite aggregates resembling those of carbohydrates are present, 

 especially in the calyx. Acicular crystals sometimes separate in 

 chloral preparations, but as they are isotropic they are apparently 

 not calcium oxalate. The epidermis of the leaves, particularly the 

 cells of the under surface, are irregularly papillose, giving a tuber- 

 culate appearance on transverse section (Fig. 252, E), and in sur- 

 face view a deeply wrinkled or folded character to the walls. As in 

 the rhizome, bast fibers and wood fibers are apparently not present. 

 There is, however, a strongly developed layer of collenchymatous 

 cells in the stem, the thickenings being more uniform and more 

 marked than those in the collenchymatous cells of belladonna. 



Allied Plants. Japanese belladonna is the rhizome of Scopolia 

 japonica, growing in Japan, and closely related to S. carniolica. The 

 drug resembles scopola and apparently contains the same principles. 

 The rhizomes of six other species of Scopolia are also used. 



Literature. Kraemer, Amer. Jour. Pharm., 1908, p. 459. 



HYOSCYAMUS. Henbane. The leaves and flowering tops of 

 Hyoscyamus niger (Fam. Solanacese), an annual or biennial herb 

 (Figs. 255 to 261), probably indigenous to Europe, western Asia and 

 northern Africa and cultivated in Germany, Russia, England and 

 the northern United States and Canada, and also naturalized in 

 waste places. The leaves are collected shortly after flowering from 

 biennial plants of the second year's growth, and carefully dried and 

 preserved. The commercial article comes chiefly from Germany. 



Description. Usually in irregular, matted fragments. Stem 

 hollow, cylindrical, flattened, longitudinally furrowed and wrinkled 

 3 to 4 mm. in diameter; internodes 1 to 3.5 cm. in length. Leaves 

 ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 5 to 10 cm. in length, 2 to 7 cm. in breadth, 

 summit acuminate; base amplexicaul; margin acutely four-lobed; 

 upper surface dark green and pubescent; under surface grayish- 

 green and glandular-pubescent ; midrib yellowish-green,- from which 

 veins of the first order diverge at an angle of from 10 to 35 and 

 pass into the lobes; texture fragile. Flowers solitary and with a 

 pedicel about 4 mm. in length; calyx tubular, 5-toothed, about 10 

 mm. in length, outer surface very pubescent; corolla 5-parted, the 



