620 MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



Impatiens biflora Walt. Spotted Touch-me-not 



A glabrous annual from 2-4 feet high; leaves ovate or elliptical, pale and 

 glaucous beneath; flowers orange-color, thickly spotted with brown; peduncles 

 2-4 flowered. 



Distribution. In moist grounds from Eastern Canada to Florida, to Kan- 

 sas and northward to Oregon and Alaska. 



Poisonous properties. Dr. Schaffner states that the plant is emetic and sus- 

 pected of being poisonous to stock. 



RHAMNALES 



Shrubs, vines or small trees; leaves generally alternate; flowers small reg- 

 ular; sepals generally more or less united; petals distinct or wanting; stamens 

 as many as the calyx lobes and alternate with them, opposite the petals when 

 present; ovary superior, compound; ovules erect. They contain two families, 

 the Rhamnaceae and Vitaceae. The genus Vitis embraces 40 species found in 

 warm and temperate regions. The European grape (Vitis vinifera) native from 

 Eastern Europe to Central Asia is now widely cultivated in California, Spain, 

 Germany, the Cape region and elsewhere. The Worden and Concord grape 

 (y. Labrusca} of eastern North America are also widely cultivated. Other 

 species are, the small grape (V. aestivalis}, the wild blue grape (V. bicolor) 

 native from New York to Wisconsin, the southern fox grape (V. rotundifolia) 

 with musky flavor, cultivated in the South, the cultivated northern fox grape 

 {V. riparia) with very fragrant flowers. Improved forms are the Janesville 

 and Clinton. The fruit of the mustang grape (V. candicans) of Texas is very 

 acrid. The Virginia creeper (Psedera quinquefolia) is a well known orna- 

 mental climber. The Boston or Japan Ivy (P. tricuspidata) native of Japan, 

 is a handsome climber scarcely hardy north. The P. heterophylla, another or- 

 namental from China and Japan is a hardy plant with small blue berries. It 

 does not cling. The Vitis inconstans of Japan contains toxicodendrol and is 

 poisonous. 



RHAMNACEAE. Buckthorn Family 



Shrubs, often climbing; or trees, often thorny, with astringent or bitter 

 qualities; leaves chiefly alternate; stipules small, deciduous; flowers in cymes 

 or panicles, small, regular; calyx perfect or polygamous, 4-5-toothed; petals 

 4-5, inserted on the calyx, or none; stamens 4-5, inserted on a disk which lines 

 the calyx tube, which is often united with the single 2-5-celled ovary; ovules 

 1 in each cell; fruit often mucilaginous and drupaceous. A small family of 

 550 species, of temperate and warm regions. 



The supple-jack (Berchemia scandens) is a pretty climber of southern 

 woods. The buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica} is frequently cultivated for 

 hedges in the north. The juice of the unripe drupe was formerly used for stain- 

 ing maps and the ripe drupe is the sap green of painters. The sap has strong 

 purgative properties. This and R. Frangula are local irritants. This plant con- 

 tains rhamnetin, C 16 H 12 O 7 , the rhamnin of earlier authors, a glucoside found 

 in the berry. Dyes are obtained from R. infectoria and a dye for silks from 

 R. lahurica and R. tinctoria. The R. Frangula contains frangulin and is an 

 ornamental shrub, the charcoal from which is used for making gun powder. 

 Probably all are more or less injurious. Cascara sagrada is obtained from R. 



