274 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



Jatcorhisa palmata yields the official drug calumba (p. 459). 

 The plant is a herbaceous climber somewhat resembling Meni- 

 spermum, the leaves being more decidedly lobed. The flowers 

 form long racemes. 



Chondrodendron tomentosum, the source of the official drug 

 pareira (p. 460), is a high woody twiner. The leaves are large, 

 petiolate, broadly ovate or rounded, slightly cordate, and densely 

 tomentose on the lower surface. 



Anainirta paniculata is a woody climber of the East Indies. 

 The fruits, known as fishberries or Cocculus, are used as a fish 

 poison by the natives and contain the neutral principle picrotoxin. 



Very many other plants of the Menispermacese contain 

 powerful toxic principles and are used as fish poisons and as anti- 

 dotes to snake poison. Several species of Abuta are used in the 

 preparation of curare poison. 



e. MAGNOLIACE^ OR MAGNOLIA FAMILY.— The 

 plants are mostly trees or shrubs and are represented in the United 

 States by the magnolias and tulip tree {Liriodendron tulipifera) . 

 The latter is a magnificent tree with characteristic leaves (Fig. 

 144) and large, fragrant, orange-colored, tulip-like flowers. 



The plants of this family contain a variety of constituents. 

 Ethereal oils containing anethol and resembling those of anise 

 are found in the fruit of Illicium wnisatum (/. verum) or star 

 ANISE, a small evergreen tree growing in the mountains of South- 

 ern China. A volatile oil with a disagreeable odor is found in a 

 closely related species /. religiosiim (Shikimi) of Japan. The 

 fruit of the latter plant is known as Japanese star anise and 

 contains in addition a poisonous neutral principle. The fruits of 

 both star anise (Illicium) and the Japanese star anise are made up 

 of 6 to 8 radially arranged follicles, which are dark brown, de- 

 hiscent on the upper (ventral) surface and each contains a single, 

 brown, shiny seed. Star anise has an odor and taste resembling 

 anise. Japanese star anise has a bitter taste and in addition is 

 brownish-black, very woody and strongly beaked. 



Volatile oils are also found in the flowers of the various species 

 of Magnolia and m Michelia Champaca found in the Malay Archi- 

 pelago and cultivated in India and Brazil, and in M. nilagirica of 

 India, the latter being used in perfumery. 



