GYMNOSPERMOUS POISONOUS PLANTS 43 



foregoing symptoms may be followed by coma with death in two hours 

 or more after the poisoning, but more generally and usually in horses, 

 asses and mules (but also in cattle) there is no period of coma, the excite- 

 ment is less pronounced and often unobserved, and death appears very 

 sudden. The animals stop, shake their heads, respiration is modified, 

 there is falling, and death (sometimes with convulsions) results from 

 cessation of the heart's action" (Cornevin). 



The western yew (Taxus brevifolia) is also said to be poisonous, as also 

 the English yew (Taxus baccata) with much circumstantial evidence 

 against it. 



Common Juniper (Juniperus communis). This plant is poisonous 

 and yields a poisonous oil obtained from its berries. Rusby refers to the 

 poisonous nature of the plant and Schaffner records that goats are poisoned 

 by eating its foliage. It grows on limestone and sandstone in the north- 

 ern United States and Rocky mountains. 



Red Cedar (Juniperus virginianus). This is a tree of wide distribution 

 from New Brunswick to British Columbia, south to Florida, Texas, New- 

 Mexico and Arizona. Dr. Halsted has reported that goats have been 

 poisoned by browsing upon it. 



Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) . Redwood leaves are said to be 

 poisonous. The tree is confined principally to the coastal region of 

 California. 



BIBLIOGRAPHY 



GARRATT, THOMAS and RADCLYFfE, W. F.: The Yew Poisonous to Cattle. Gardeners' 



Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1872, 715 (May 25). 

 J. G. J. S.: Yew Poisoning. Gardeners' Chronicle and Agricultural Gazette, 1872, 



509 (April 13) 

 LONG, HAROLD C. : Plant Poisonous to Live Stock. Cambridge at the University Press, 



1917, 72-76. 

 PAMMEL, L. H.: A Manual of Poisonous Plants. Part I, 1910, ioi-i*o2; Part II, 1911, 



325-332- 

 SOHN, CHARLES E.: Dictionary of the Active Principles of Plants; Alkaloids; Bitter 



Principles; Glucosides. Balliere, Tindall and Cox, London, 1894. 

 WATNEY HELEN G. Yew Poisoning. The Garden, vii, 311, Apr. 10, 1875. 

 WIITSTEIN, G. C. and VON MUELLER, BARON FERD: The Organic Constituents of 



Plants and Vegetable Substances and Their Chemical Analysis. M'Carron, Bird 



& Co., Melbourne, 1878. 



LABORATORY WORK 



i. Study and draw dried specimens of eastern American yew (Taxus canadensis) 

 or western yew (T. brevifolia) or the redwood (Sequoia sempervirens). 



