424 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



(Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) . The family Basellaceae another of this 

 ^*'' same order contains the Madeira vine (Boussingaultia baselloides) commonly 

 cultivated. The seeds of some species are edible. 



Families of Centrospermae 

 Fruit an utricle. 



Flowers bractless or occasionally with bracts. 



Sepals green or greenish Chenopodiaceae. 



Flowers bracted. 



Sepals generally with scarious bracts AmarantJiaccac 



Fruit fleshy, a berry Phytolaccaceae. 



Fruit indurated into a nut-like pericarp, base of calyx constricted. .Nyctaginaceae. 

 Fruit a capsule, dehiscent by teeth or valves. 



Sepals 5 or 4, distinct or united Caryophyllaceae. 



CHENOPODIACEAEL Goosefoot Family 



Annuals or perennials, frequently succulent herbs, or rarely shrubs; alter- 

 nate leaves without stipules ; flowers small ; greenish ; petals absent ; calyx free, 

 stamens as many as the lobes of the calyx or fewer and inserted opposite them 

 on their base; ovary 1-celled; fruit a 1-seeded, thin utricle or rarely an achene; 

 endosperm mealy or wanting; embryo coiled. 



About 500 species of wide distribution, common in arid regions. Some of 

 the economic plants of this family are sugar beet (Beta vulgaris}, a maritime 

 plant of Europe, and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) from the orient. The beet 

 is one of the most important plants of the family, being largely cultivated in 

 Europe as a source of cane sugar although as late as 1800, its use in that capac- 

 ity was of little extent. It is also an important plant for stock food and for 

 human food. Spinach is used extensively for greens but, in Utah, is somewhat 

 of a weed. The Australian saltbushes are well known forage plants. Indigo 

 is derived from A. hortensis, a native of Tartary. The strawberry blite (Chen- 

 opodium capitatum) is cultivated in Europe for its leaves. The shrubby salt- 

 wort (Suaeda fruiticosa} is burned in the sotsth of Europe for Barilla. The 

 Russian thistle (Salsola Kali. var. tenuifolia) is used in much the same way. 

 The Spanish wormseed (5. Webbii} contains an oil much like that found in 

 Cheno podium ambrosioides. The tumble-weed (Cycloloma atriplicifolium} is 

 common on the plains. The white sage (Hurotia ceratoides') is an excellent 

 forage plant of the west. 



Poisonous properties. The use of the beet leaves for fodder has some- 

 times caused bloat. It has been known for some time that the feeding of roots 

 to animals causes the formation of renal calculi. These calculi consist of a com- 

 bination of uric and phosphoric acid with lime. An experiment conducted by 

 Prof. W. J. Kennedy and Mr. E. J. Robbins at the Iowa Experiment Station 

 in cooperation with Prof. L. G. Michael indicated that sugar beets fed to rams 

 will produce renal calculi. Prof. Michael says* in regard to the effect of man- 

 gels and sugar beets on the kidney: 



Both roots seem to affect the kidney similarly. 



A small calculus was found in one kidney of Ram VI. This ram was fed sugar 

 beets. The membrane about the calculus and extending down into the urethra was 

 pigmented, a decided black. 



* Biennial Kept. Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts 23:142. 



