494 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



RUBijERViNE (about 0.005 per cent.) forms long prisms which 

 are colored yellow with concentrated sulphuric acid, the solution 

 becoming orange and finally red ; pseudojervine forms hexagonal 

 prisms which are colored yellow with concentrated sulphuric acid ; 

 PROTOVERATRiDiNE is a decomposition product of protoveratrine 

 and forms cubical prisms which are colored violet with concen- 

 trated sulphuric acid, the solution afterward becoming cherry-red. 

 Veratrum also contains a bitter glucoside veratramarin ; jervic 



Fig. 216. Several parenchyma cells from rhizome of Veratrum viride: a, ceMs con- 

 taining starch grains; b, cell containing raphides of calcium oxalate. — After Bastin. 



acid, which is identical with chelidonic acid, and crystallizes in 

 silky needles ; considerable starch ; ash 3 to 4 per cent. ; and 

 calcium oxalate in the form of raphides. 



Constituents of Veratrum Viride. — Green hellebore con- 

 tains about 0.08 per cent, of total alkaloids. Of these about one- 

 half consists of CEVADiNE, an exceedingly toxic ether-soluble alka- 

 loid, also found in Sabadilla seeds, which crystallizes in needles 

 and gives a violet color on warming with nitric acid, the solution 

 changing to scarlet-red on boiling. The remainder consists 

 chiefly of the ether-insoluble alkaloids jervine and pseudojer- 



