218 



SOLANACEiE. 



taj)ering at the base, entire or sparingly repand-toothed. Flowers solitary, 

 axillary, greenisli-j'ellow, darker in the centre, appearing late in summer. 



Habitat. — In dry or sandy soil, from Pennsylvania to Florida and west- 

 ward. 



Parts Used. — The Jierb and fruit of C. Alkekeugi — not official. 

 Constituents. — The herb contains a i^eculiar bitter princij)le termed 

 physalin ; the beri'ies sugar and citric acid. 



Preparations. — The herb has been emj^loyed in powder, decoction, and 

 vinous tincture ; the fruit, fresh, or di'ied and powdered. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — Physalis appears to be entirely destitute 

 of acrid and narcotic properties, so common in the solanacese. Alkekengi, 

 by virtue of its bitter princii^le, appears to be tonic and febrifuge. It has 

 been employed in Europe in intermittents with satisfactory results. The 

 berries are pleasant to the taste, and are cultivated for the same purposes 

 as other small fruits of the garden. They have been employed medicinally 



in urinary diseases, and in gout, 

 but, considering their constitu- 

 ents, one would not naturally 

 expect them to be very active. 



The indigenous species above 

 described probably possesses 

 similar proj)erties. Several 

 other North American species 

 might also be included in the 

 same statement. 



HYOSCY AMUS. —Henbane. 



Hyoscyamus niger LimK'. 



■ — Henbane. 



Description. — Calyx b e 1 1 - 

 shaped or urn-shaj)ed, 5-lobed, 

 persistent, the lobes broad, stiff, 

 almost prickly. Corolla funnel- 

 form, about 1 inch long, the 

 border 5-lobed, and more or less plaited. Stamens declined. Capsule 

 globular, enclosed in the persistent and enlarged calj-x, 2-celled, many- 

 seeded, opening by a lid at the top. 



An annual or biennial herb, erect, 1 to 2 feet high, more or less hairy 

 and viscid, with a fetid, nauseous smell. Leaves rather large, sessile ; the 

 upper ones clasping, ovate, irregularly jiinnatifid. Flowers sessile, in one- 

 sided leafy sjiikes ; corolla pale dingy -yellow, with purplish vines. 

 Habitat. — Inti'oduced from Europe ; naturalized in waste j^laces. 

 Parts Used. — The leaves collected from plants of the second years' 



Fig. 147. — Hyoscyamus niger. 



