384 NATURAL HISTORY. 



The sporules produced at the free summit of the cells 

 are at their openings of different shades of color, varying 

 from vermilion to purplish-red. Found singly, mostly 

 in thickets or under hedges, in woods, etc. An acrid 

 narcotic poison, very drastic in its operations, creating 

 inflammation of the stomach and bowels. 



The Hemlock (Conium maculatum), plate 31, fig. 3. 

 Stem smooth, branching, reddish-brown and spotted ; 

 leaflets lanceolate, pinnatifid ; root turnip-shaped, single, 

 branching, white ; height about six feet ; distinguished 

 partly by its brown spots, and partly by the peculiarly 

 dark green color of the leaves. Tastes exceedingly dis- 

 agreeable and smells worse ; its effects are stupefying. 

 At first excitement attended with headache, and soon 

 after followed with severer symptoms ; the fatal symptoms 

 of its operations become every moment more apparent. 

 Difficulty of swallowing, loss of sight and hearing, cold- 

 ness and paralysis of the extremities come next, and, 

 last of all, convulsions and death. This plant is the 

 more dangerous as its root is so like that of the parsnip 

 that it may readily be mistaken for it ; planted in a gar- 

 den, it loses its spots and then resembles parsley, never- 

 theless the seed can easily be distinguished from that of 

 the latter as it is furrowed transversely. The same 

 remedies used as recommended in poisoning by the aga- 

 rics, namely, mucilages plentifully mingled with lemon 

 juice or vinegar. $ . 



Spurge Laurel (Daphne mezereum) is a small bush ; 

 leaves lanceolate, deciduous, arranged in terminal tufts ; 

 flowers beautiful pink color, sessile ; about three are pro- 

 duced from each lateral bud : very fragrant ; berries 

 bright red. A beautiful European shrub ; blooms in 

 February. Found in the mountain forests. The whole 



