177 



THE CHEMISTRY OF SOME COMMON PLANTS. 



p. Q. KEEGAN, LL.D., 

 Patterdale, Westmorlanil. 



Ox-eye Daisy {Chrysanthemum Leucanthemum) — This plant is 

 characteristic of pastures and meadows in poor condition, and 

 is aUied to the wormwood and not to the asters, which latter are 

 near the common daisy. It springs up quickly some one to 

 two feet high, with a rapidly lignifying, erect stem bearing 

 leaves very variable in shape, and with no latex. On 15th 

 June the overground parts contained a very little volatile oil, 

 some carotin, wax and fat, and a resinous bitter principle 

 soluble in sulphuric acid with brown to violet colour. There 

 was some glucose and levulose, and abimdant tannin, yielding 

 the reactions of caffeetannin, also a catechin-like substance, 

 and considerable mucilage and proteid. There was no stored- 

 u]) starch or inulin, and only a little oxalate of calcium. The 

 ash of the air-dried plant amounted to 6.6 per cent., and con- 

 tained 43.1 per cent, soluble salts, 5.8 silica, 18 lime, 6.4 P^O", 

 4.3 SO^. and 5.8 chlorine, with a good deal of iron and man- 

 ganese. The chemical analysis as compared with that of the 

 common daisy, clearly reveals that this is a much more highly 

 developed plant in a chemical sense. In fact, with the exception 

 of the sub-order Cynarocephaleae and the Yarrow and .Sow- 

 thistle, it would seem that none of our native composite plants 

 exhibit a process of deassimilation carried so far, or perhaps 

 produce less of those products of chemical degradation vaguely 

 designated ' bitter principles.' To the scientific and non-poetical 

 eye this plant is much more worthy of regard than the frail and 

 delicate familiar organism whose patronymic it has borrowed. 



Devils-Bit Scabious {Scabiosa succisa) — Open meadow 

 grounds and breezy uplands are the favourite denizens of this 

 deeply-tinted flower. The root is a remarkable organ. The germ- 

 roots and the epicotyl produce side roots which contract and 

 draw the stemlet below the soil, and then later on several storage 

 roots are thrown out which are long and 2 or 3 mm. thick, the 

 rind and pith thereof being filled with small granules of starch. 

 On 29th July the benzene extract of the dried overground 

 parts amounted to 1.4 per cent., and had considerable corotin, 

 much wax, some fat-oil, and a resinous substance ; the alcoholic 

 extract was very bitter, and had caffeetannin and cane-sugar, 

 resin, and a bitter principle dissolving in sulphuric acid with 



1910 Ap}. I. 



