SPERMATOPHYTA— MAGNOUACEAE 



475 



Dr. Langaard concluded that all parts of the plant were poisonous. The poison 

 causes excitation of the central apparatus of the medulla oblongata and clonic 

 convulsions analogous to those produced by picrotoxin, toxiresin and cicutoxin. 

 Small doses kill by paralyzing the respiratory center. Large doses cause heart 

 paralysis. When animals are poisoned by small doses chloral hydrate is an effi- 

 cient remedy but has no effect when large doses have been taken. 



CAI,YCANTHACfiAE 



Shrubs with entire short petioled opposite leaves, without stipules; flowers 

 fragrant, large, solitary, on leafy branches, sepals and petals numerous ; stamens 

 numerous, the inner short, sterile; pistils numerous; fruit of an ovoid pyriform 

 receptacle, enclosing few to many smooth solitary achenes ; seed erect. About S 

 species of North America and Asia. Several species are cultivated for orna- 

 mental purposes. 



Calycanthus L. Carolina Allspice 



Flowers purple or red; sepals and petals numerous, stamens numerous, 

 pistils numerous. A small genus of 4 species, 3 in Eastern North America, 

 and 1 on the Pacific Coast. 



Calycanthus floridus L. Strawberry Bush 



A branching shrub 3-9 feet high; branches pubescent; leaves oval, soft, 

 downy underneath, roughish above ; flowers dark purple, with the odor of straw- 

 berries; sepals and petals linear-oblong. 



Fig. 246. Strawberry Bush (Calycanthus floridus). 

 Commonly used as an ornamental shrub and is known 

 to be somewhat poisonous. (Charlotte M. King). 



