POISONOUS PLANTS 153 



that attention should be drawn to the possible danger of 

 this common plant. 



Fpitillapia meleagris — snake's head, fritillary, drooping 

 tulip, or chequered daffodil — a bulbous herb, having 

 lanceolate leaves, and bearing single red or pink flowers, 

 grows in meadows and moist places in a few localities in the 

 South and East of England, but not in Scotland. Poisoning 

 by it is not common. The plant is stated to contain a 

 glucoside, imperialin, but little is known of its effects, and 

 there are no cases of accidental poisoning oh record. There 

 can be little doubt that this plant resembles the allied species, 

 F. imperialis, in its actions. 



No record of poisoning by the British squills — Scilla verna, 

 the spring, and S. autitmnalis, the autumnal squill — is to be 

 found, although related plants are officinal and poisonous. 

 The onion, Allium cepa, has been observed to be poisonous 

 (see under Mustard). 



In the United States Leueocrinum montanum has been 

 reported to be very fatal to sheep in Montana, especially 

 after the fruit is developed, and Nothoscordwm bivalve, crow 

 poison, or yellow false garlic, was reported as very dangerous 

 to cattle in Texas in the spring of 1898. 



Amongst Indian poisonous plants of this order mention 

 may be made of Gloriosa superba, which contains a glucoside, 

 superbim, allied to scillain, the active principle of squills. 



Urgrinea. — The officinal Urginea maritima, medicinal 

 squill, or sea onion, is a maritime plant common on the 

 Mediterranean littoral, and in the Cape, and is very abundant 

 in Algeria, where the poisoning of pigs and of young animals 

 has been observed (Cornevin). The lanceolate leaves grow 

 from the base of the flowering stem, and die before flower- 

 ing. The greenish flowers are numerous on long pedicles 

 in an erect raceme. The root is a bulb covered with scales, 

 and about 6 inches in size. The plant reaches 1\ to 2 feet 

 in height. 



All parts are poisonous, but chiefly the bulb, and the active 

 principles are scillain and scillitoxin, acting in an analogous 

 manner to digitalis. According to Cornevin, the probable 



