210 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



1916 



According to Montel the easiest method of differentiating one 

 lUicium from the other is to boil a follicle of the fruit with 

 one or two cubic centimeters of alcohol in a test tube. With 

 IlUcium anisatum the addition of water to the alcoholic solution 

 causes the formation of an opalescent precipitate resembling that 

 of absinth of commerce, due to the precipitation of anetol. 

 With IlUcium religiosum the alcoholic solution remains limpid, 

 but on evaporation gives beautiful crystals of shikimic acid; 

 IlUcium anisatum gives a very little quantity of small crystals 

 and sometimes none at all. In case the fruit of IlUcium relig- 

 iosum were taken in fine powder, Collin (19) advises the micros- 

 copic examination of the vomitus or the content of the stomach 

 for fragments of the epicarp and of the endocarp and for the 

 external envelope of the seminal integument. The distinctive 

 characteristics of these parts of the fruit are the striated cuticle 

 lining the epicarp, the special configuration of the sclerenchyma 

 cells of the endocarp, and the highly sinuous sclerenchyma cells 

 of the external envelope of the seminal integument, which also 

 contains crystals in its internal envelope. 



Most of the properties of the two species of IlUcium given 

 above are of value only to the experts. It is self-evident that 

 the laymen, who daily use the fruit of IlUcium anisatum in the 

 preparation of food and who, on account of their social con- 

 dition, are less protected against all sorts of adulteration in 

 spite of the Pure Food and Drug Law now in force, require 

 the character which is decisive and is easily detected. Eykman 

 noted that the fruit of IlUcium religiosum may sometimes 

 simulate the anislike odor and taste of IlUcium anisatum, but 

 its usual taste and odor of cubeb and laurel are in our opinion 

 the most practical signs for laymen to use in the differentiation 

 of one variety from the other. The detection of the odor and 

 taste is facilitated by triturating or merely crushing one or two 

 pods of the fruit. 



Holmes (20) gives the differential properties of the fruits of 

 the various species of IlUcium as is shown in Table II. 



Table II. — Differential properties of the fruits of variotts species of IlUcium. 



Species. 



Car- 

 pels, 



Taste. 



lUioiuTn ctnisftttivi 



8 



8 



8 



18 



13 



13 



Of anise. 



Sligrhtly that of laurel leaves. 



Of sassafras. 



Of anise. 



Bitter and at the same time that of the leaves 



of laurel and of cubeb. 

 Of mace. 



IHi^utn religiosHTn 



lUicium parviJloTum _ - . 











