52 PASTORAL AND AGRICULTURAL BOTANY 



Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis). The lily of the valley is a 

 smooth, perennial herb with horizontal rhizomes from which arise two or 

 three oblong, parallel-veined leaves. Later in May to June, there is 

 found a short scape with a short raceme of bell-shaped, white flowers 

 having six included stamens. The fruit is a round, red berry with a few 

 seeds. Apparently sheep and goats eat the leaves with impunity. The 

 Revue Horticole published a number of years ago an account of the 

 poisoning of a flock of fowls after eating the decaying flowers of this plant. 

 Only the parent bird survived and one out of ten chickens. Two glu- 

 cosides are found in the plant. Convallamarin C2sH44Oi2 is an ex- 

 tremely poisonous, crystalline compound with a bitter sweet taste. Its 

 physiologic action on the heart is like digitalis. Convallarin C 3 4H 62 

 On is crystalline with sharp taste and purgative in its action. The action 

 of the poisonous principles on the heart is infrequent and irregular. 

 Death occurs from paralysis. 



Meadow Saffron (Colchicum autumnale). The autumn crocus is found 

 in meadows in many parts of Europe, but is not known in America 

 outside of gardens. All parts of the plant are poisonous and many horses, 

 cattle and pigs have been killed in Europe by eating it, although sheep 

 and goats are almost immune. Children have died from eating its seeds. 

 The toxic principle is cumulative in its action. It is a poisonous alkaloid 

 colchicin C^E^sNOe which causes after small but not fatal doses 

 loss of appetite, suppression of rumination, salivation, light colic, diar- 

 rhoea and voiding of small quantities of urine. Blood has been seen in 

 the milk of poisoned cows. Fatal quantities cause total loss of appetite, 

 stupefaction, loss of consciousness, dilatation of the pupils, unsteady gait, 

 and even paralysis of limbs, sweating, severe colic and bloody diarrhoea, 

 bloody urine; rapid, small imperceptible pulse, labored breathing and 

 death in one to three days. Recovery is very slow, if it takes place. 



Red Root (Lachnanthes (Gyrotheca) tinctoria). This plant occurs in 

 the coastal, fresh-water marshes and cranberry bogs from southeastern 

 Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Jersey to Florida. It is a tall 

 stout herb with yellow flowers and pink rhizomes. It poisons only white 

 pigs, but not the black ones, so that there develops a preponderance of 

 black pigs over white ones in regions where the plant is abundant. Post- 

 mortem examination of the bones of white pigs reveals the curious fact 

 that they are colored a reddish-pink. 



Lady Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium hirsutum). This species may be 

 taken as illustrating the poisonous activities of a number of eastern Ameri- 



