THE POISONOUS PLANTS OF BOMBAY. 69 



Grahamiamis with Strohilanthes Callosus (Nees). It must be 

 apparent to every reader of Dalzell that his Strohilantlies Grahamia- 

 nus is essentially different from S. Callosus. For S. Grahamiamis 

 has peltate hairs, whereas the hairs of 8. Callosus are longitudinal 

 and tapering- at the free end in a sharp point, and are composed of 

 2-3 longitudinal cells placed end on end. This latter I have verified 

 by personal microscopic examination. Again, DalzelPs S, Graha- 

 miamis has trifid peduncles; the peduncles of 8. Callosus are 

 solitary. 8. Grahamiamis and 8. Callosus must therefore on close 

 scrutiny appear to be two distinct species. 



The Poisonous Nature op the Plant. 



With regard to the poisonous nature of the plant, the anngunce- 

 ment now made for the first time that the 'plant is poisonous, will, 

 to not a few, if not to all, come with some surprise. But it need 

 not be so although in the large number of the genera of the natural 

 order Acanthacece, there are only a few plants which are known to 

 have irritant or, broadly speaking, poisonous properties. The poison- 

 ous quality is exhibited either in the irritant juice of its leaves 

 or in the irritating action of its surface-hairs. Thus, for instance, 

 the leaves of the well known GajaTcami (itst^^TT) Bhinacanthus Com- 

 munis are well-known for the local irritation — often amounting to 

 vesication — they cause in the treatment of ringworm. It is a 

 favorite native remedy for ringworm in certain stages. The leaves 

 of Blepharis Edulis similarly, which are armed with prickles, — 

 (only an advanced stage of the hairs on the leaves of our 8. Cal- 

 losus) and the stem of which is still more prickly, Dr. Dymock 

 says " cause redness, burning and itching " [vide p. 593, 2nd ed. 

 Mat. Med. of Western India), when they come in contact with the 

 body. Similarly I have found that the pounded or bruised leaves of 

 Strohilanthes Callosus when taken internally as a cold infusion have 

 sometimes caused irritation of the stomach and produced severe 

 vomiting followed by symptoms of gastritis. The inflammation of 

 the mucous membrane of the stomach thus produced appears to 

 me to be due to the mechanical irritation caused by the hairs on 

 the leaves. Any careless use therefore of the pounded leaves for 

 medicinal purposes is fraught with danger to the mucous coat of 



