284 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



Wild mustard or charlock {Brassica arvensis) naturalized in the 

 United States from Europe ; Hesperis tristis of Southern Europe ; 

 cabbage {Brassica oleracea). An iNDiGO-forming glucoside is 

 found in Isatis tinctoria of Europe and /. indigotica of China; 

 Neslia paniculata of Europe and the Orient ; and Lepidium owai- 

 hiense of the Hawaiian Islands. Shepherd's purse {Capsella 

 Bursa-pastoris) contains an alkaloid (bursine) and tannin. The 

 leaves and roots of many of the Cruciferse are used as garden 

 vegetables, and some are cultivated as ornamental plants, as sweet 

 alyssum which is a cultivated variety of Alyssmn maritimum of 

 Europe. 



c. There are several other families of the Rhoeadales which 

 yield economic products. The Resedace.e include the migno- 

 nette (Reseda odorata) the flowers of which yield a fragrant vola- 

 tile oil ; and R. luteola of Europe which contains a yellow coloring 

 principle and also an anthelmintic principle. The Moringace/e 

 comprise a single genus, Moringa. The root of M. olifera of 

 tropical and sub-tropical countries contains a volatile oil resem- 

 bling the volatile oil of mustard, and the stem yields an astringent 

 gum resembling that of Bombax malabaricum (Bombace'ae). 



XIV. order sarraceniales. 



This order includes several families which are of special inter- 

 est because of the fact that the leaves are of peculiar construction 

 and adapted to the catching and digestion of insects (Fig. yy). 



Probably all of the plants of this order produce proteolytic 

 ferments resembling those in the pine-apple and are capable of 

 acting upon and digesting animal substance. Some writers have 

 supposed that the properties of these plants might be due to bac- 

 teria present in the liquid contained in the pitchers of the leaves, 

 but there seems to be no question that a distinct enzyme resem- 

 bling trypsin is formed in those plants which have been studied. 



(a) The genus Sarracenia of the family Sarraceniace^ or 

 pitcher-plant family, is represented in the United States by a 

 number of species. The rhizome and roots of Sarracenia purpurea 

 contain' several alkaloids, one of which, sarracenine, seems to have 

 some resemblance to veratrine. (b) The Droserace^ or sun- 



