268 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



which is used in the preparation of a red dye. The fleshy stitch- 

 wort (Alsine crassifolia) of Europe and the United States is 

 poisonous to horses. 



XII. ORDER RANALES. 



The plants are mostly herbs but include some shrubs and trees, 

 and comprise eight families of economic importance. 



a. NYMPH^EACE^ OR WATER LILY FAMILY.— 

 These are aquatic perennial herbs with thick root-stocks and float- 

 ing, peltate leaves. The flowers are perfect and have large 

 petals. The seeds are enclosed in an aril and the embryo has 

 fleshy cotyledons. 



Nuphar lutenm of Europe and Middle Asia contains the alka- 

 loid nupharine and tannin, the latter of which splits into ellagic 

 and gallic acids. The yellow pond lily (Nyinphcca advena) of the 

 United States contains similar principles. The seeds and rhizomes 

 are rich in starch and are used as food, in some cases starch being 

 manufactured from them, as of various species of Nymphcea, 

 Nelumbo (Lotus) and Victoria, and Euryale ferox. 



b. RANUNCULACE^ OR CROWFOOT FAMILY.— 

 These are annual of perennial herbs with simple or compound 

 leaves, regular or irregular flowers, and fruits which are akenes, 

 follicles, or berries. 



Hydrastis canadensis yields the drug hydrastis (p. 498). 

 From a short, thick, horizontal rhizome with numerous slender 

 roots rises a short stalk with a few palmately lobed, reniform, 

 petiolate, pubescent leaves. The flowers are small, solitary and 

 greenish-white, and the fruit is a head of crimson berries some- 

 what resembling the raspberry (Fig. 218). 



Cimicifuga racemosa (black cohosh or black snakeroot) yields 

 the drug cimicifuga (p. 497). This is a tall perennial herb with 

 large knotty rhizome, large decompound leaves and a long raceme 

 of white flowers (Fig. 140). 



Aconituni napellus yields the official drug aconite (p. 477). 

 This is a perennial herbaceous plant indigenous to Europe and 

 extensively cultivated. From a tuberous root arises a simple 

 leafy stem with palmately lobed or divided leaves, and large, 

 irregular, blue flowers which form a rather loose panicle (Fig. 



