CRUDE DRUGS. 619 



surface dark green and pubescent; under surface grayish-green 

 and glandular-pubescent (Fig. 287, B) ; midrib yellowish-green, 

 from which veins of the first order diverge at an angle of from 

 10° to 35° and pass into the lobes; texture fragile. Flowers soli- 

 tary and with a pedicel about 4 mm. long; calyx tubular, 

 5-toothed, about 10 mm. long, outer surface very pubescent ; 

 corolla 5-parted, the lobes more or less unequal, somewhat spread- 

 ing, the tube purplish, the limb yellowish, reticulate from purplish 

 veins ; stamens five, declined, mostly exserted ; stigma capitate. 

 Fruit, a two-locular pyxis. Seeds numerous, campylotropous, 

 somewhat reniform, flattened, i mm. long, light brown, finely 

 pitted, with a curved embryo embedded in the endosperm. Odor 

 distinct. Taste bitter and somewhat acrid. 



Inner Structure. — See Figs. 282, A; 287, B; 302, A. 



Constituents. — The alkaloids hyoscyamine and hyoscine 

 (scopolamine) 0.08 to 0.15 per cent., of which three-fourths is 

 hyoscyamine ; an odorous principle in the nature of a butyric ether 

 or butyrin ; a glucosidal bitter principle, hyospicrin ; potassium 

 nitrate, about 2 per cent., and calcium oxalate. 



Hyoscyamine (an isomer of atropine) occurs in colorless, 

 silky needles with an acrid, disagreeable taste, partly soluble in 

 water,, sxiluble in alcohol, and is readily decomposed into atropine. 

 It forms crystalline salts, of which the hydrobromide is official. 

 Hyoscine forms prismatic crystals, which are soluble in water 

 and alcohol, and on hydrolysis yields scopoline (oscine) and tropic 

 acid. Hyoscine is even a more powerful mydriatic than hyoscya- 

 mine, and forms crystallizable salts, of which the hydrobromide 

 is official. 



Allied Plants. — Hyoscyamine is also found in Datura Stra- 

 monium, Atropa Belladonna, Anisodus luridus, Duboisia iiiyo- 

 poroides, Lactuca sfitiva and L. virosa (p. 392), the two latter 

 plants belonging to the Compositae. Hyoscine (scopolamine) is 

 also present in belladonna root, the seeds of Hyoscyamus niger 

 (p. 372), the leaves of Datura Stramonium, Datura fastuosa of 

 the East Indies, the leaves of Duboisia myoporoides and the 

 roots of Scopolia japonica and 5. atropoides. 



Duboisia leaves are obtained from Duboisia myoporoides, a 

 large shrub indigenous to Australia. They are short-petiolate, 7 



