70 POISONOUS PLANTS. 



CAPSICUM ANNUUM {Cultivated in Britain). 



CHILLIES. — CAYENNE PEPPER. — GUINEA PEPPER. — POD 

 PEPPER. — RED PEPPER. 



Solanaceiz. — Bushy herb ; 2ft. — Stem hollow. — Branches 

 spreading. — Leaves alternate ; ovate ; entire. — Flowers solitary 

 in each bifurcation. — Fruit indehiscent ; oblong, or nearly 

 globose ; inflated ; 2-celled ; skin tough ; shining ; scarlet. — 

 Seeds numerous ; oval ; yellow. — Ann. ; creamy-white. 



Toxic principle. — CAPSICINE, also contained in C. fastigium, 

 C. baccatum, C. cerasiforme, C. fructescens, C. grossum, C. 

 tetragonum. 



PIPER NIGRUM {East Indies). 



BLACK PEPPER PLANT. — MURICH. 



Pip?.racece. — Climbing shrub ; 30ft. — Stems woody ; thick- 

 ened ; giving off adventitious rootlets at joints. — Leaves alter- 

 nate ; oval ; entire. — Flowers moncecious or dioecious ; sessile ; 

 from filiform, pendulous spadices. — Fruit Jin.; globular; 

 sessile ; changing from green to red, then yellow. — Seeds 

 solitary ; chocolate ; taking 6 months to ripen. 



Toxic principle.— 'iYf^'BX^^, also contained in P. angusti- 

 folium, C. betle, C. cubeba, C. clusia, C. excelsum, C. methysti- 

 cum, C. oiiicinarum, C. peltatum. 



ZINGIBER OFFICINALIS {Tropics). 



COMMON GINGER. — EAST INDIAN GINGER. — RED GINGER. 



Zingiberacea . — Rhizome solid, tough, jointed; roots numer- 

 ous, thick. — Barren stems. 3-4ft. — Leaves alternate ; termin- 

 ating in 2, small auricles. Sheaths long ; standing away from 

 stem. — Flowers few, sessile ; on ift. flowering stem ; each 

 surrounded by a bract, which, collectively, form a cone-like 

 terminal spike. — Perenn. — Purple and pale brown. 



Toxic principle. — OIL OF GINGER, also contained in Winter- 

 ania canella. 



COCHLEARIA ARMORACIA {Cultivated in 

 Britain). 



COMMON HORSERADISH. 



Cruciferce. — Root-leaves large, oblong, wrinkled, on long foot- 

 stalks. — Fruit oblong. — Waste places. A doubtful native. — 

 Root pungent ; used as a condiment, a-jft. Perenn. June. 

 White. 



Toxic principle.— Ql'L OF HORSERADISH. 



