606 



MANUAL OF POISONOUS PLANTS 



spermum Halicacabum) , a well known ornamental climber, but a weed in the 

 South. A refreshing drink is made fom the seed of guarana (Paullinia 

 Cupana) of South America; it contains caffein, saponin and an acrid green 

 fixed oil. The' fruit of Sapindus Saponaria contains a great deal of saponin 

 and is used as a substitute for soap. The soapberry tree {Sapindus marginatus) 

 is used as a shade tree in the South where it is a native. A shellac is derived 

 from the Indian Schleichera trijuga and marcassa oil is obtained from the 

 seeds of the same plant. The Indians of Brazil use the honey collected by 

 wasps from the flowers of Serjania lethalis to poison their arrows. It is also 

 used as a fish poison and contains a narcotic principle which causes death. 

 Another fish poison is furnished by the black seeds of S. curassavica of Brazil. 

 The natives use the same substance for criminal purposes on man. The nectar 

 obtained from the flowers is also poisonous. Lehmann lists as poisonous S. 

 nodosa, which is used by the natives of Brazil as an arrow poison. The fruit 

 of 5". trifoliatus of India contains saponin. The same substance occurs in other 



Fig. 341. Common Box (Buxiis sempervirens). 

 plant is acridly poisonous. (After Faguet.) 



The 



