304 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



blue, and in axillary clusters; and the fruit is a 2-valved capsule 

 (Fig. 156). G. sanctum is a tree resembling G. officinale, but is 

 distinguished by having leaves which are 8-foliate and vi^ith 

 smaller leaflets, and a 4- to 5-valved capsule. The resin of both 

 species is official (p. 668). 



A resin having an odor resembling that of creosote occurs in 

 the CREOSOTE BUSH {CovUlca tridentata) of Mexico and Texas. 



Fig. 156. Guaiacum officinale: A, flowering and fruiting branch; B, gynEEcium in 

 longitudinal section showing the pendulous ovules; C, a seed; D, E, the fruit in longitudinal 

 and transverse sections. — After Berg and Schmidt. 



The juice of Peganum Harmala contains a yellow coloring 

 principle used in dyeing. A number' of the plants of this family 

 contain powerful poisonous principles. 



g. RUTACE^ OR RUE FAMILY.— The plants are shrubs 

 or trees, seldom herbs, with lysigenous oil-secretion cells. The 

 leaves are usually alternate, simple or compound and pellucid- 

 punctate (Fig. 134, C). 



Xanthoxyhnn aniericanum or northern prickly ash, is a shrub 

 or small tree with 5- to ii-compound leaves, the leaflets being 

 ovate and nearly sessile; the flowers are dioecious, greenish, and 



