CRUDE DRUGS. 



433 



AMYGDALA AMARA.— BITTER ALMOND.— The ripe 

 seed of Prunus Amygdalus amara (Earn. Rosacese), a tree native 

 of Asia Minor, Persia and Syria, and cultivated and naturalized 

 in tropical and vi^arm-temperate regions (p. 287). The commer- 

 cial product is obtained mostly from Sicily, Southern France, 

 Southern Italy and Northern Africa. In commercial almonds the 

 yellowish, more or less porous, fibrous and brittle endocarp is 

 frequently present, and this should be removed (Fig. 187). 



Description. — Anatropous, ovate or oblong-lanceolate, flat- 

 tened, more rounded on one margin, apex acute or beaked, chalazal 

 end rounded or obliquely truncate, 20 to 30 mm. long, 11 to 17 



Fig. 187. Drupe-like fruit of almond (Prunus Amygdalus): A, whole fruit with 

 distinct suture; B, longitudinal section showing fibrous sarcocarp, and thin shell-endocarp; 

 C, D, E, sections of the seed; c, cotyledons; w, hypocotyl; v, epicotyl or plumule. — After 

 Focke. 



mm. broad, 7 to 9 mm. thick ; externally light brown, with numer^ 

 ous parallel veins extending from the chalaza to the micropyle, 

 outer walls of epidermal cells modified tp distinct papillae, seed- 

 coat thin, membranaceous, easily removed on soaking the seed in 

 water, the raphe extending on the more rounded edge as a more 

 or less distinct ridge from the hilum to or near the chalaza ; frac- 

 ture short ; without reserve layers, embryo straight, v/hitish, hypo- 

 cotyl conical, 2 to 3 mm. long, cotyledons plano-convex, sometimes 

 slightly unequal, plumule i mm. long; odorless, except on treat- 

 ment with water, when an odor of hydrocyanic acid is emitted, or 

 of benzaldehyde when old ; taste bitter. 



Inner Structure. — See Figs. 188; 302, D; 319. 



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