N. O. L0GANIACE2E. 837 



the end of branchlets or on axillary shoots, pentamerous, bi- 

 sexual. " The Strychnine tree is handsome, and when in flower 

 is at once recognized by the strong odour of turmeric which the 

 flower gives off (Gamble). Peduncle J-2in. Calyx 5-parted, 

 persistent, £-§ the size of Corolla ; lobes acute. Corolla valvate, 

 hypogynous, regular, tubular, or funnel-shaped, with a 5-lobed, 

 reflexed, short limb. Tube i-iin. long ; glabrous at the throat, 

 lobes valvate, about |in. long, glabrous, a few conical hairs down 

 the tube, Stamens 5, epipetalous in the throat of the Corolla- 

 tube, alternating with the Corolla-segments. Ovary free, 2- 

 celled, style filiform, glabrous, as long as the Corolla-tube. 

 Stigma 2-lobed. Fruit a berry, globose, smooth, indehiscent, 

 orange-sized, orange-coloured when mature, rind shell-like ; full 

 of a soft, white, intensely bitter, jelly-like pulp, with 2-5 seeds 

 immersed in it. Seeds fin. diam., circular, discoid, shining, light- 

 silvery grey, silky, having one surface convex, the other concave, 

 with a small foveola in the centre of each side. 



Mr. James Small communicated to the Pharmaceutical So- 

 ciety of great Britain at an evening meeting in London, on 

 Tuesday, April 8th, 1913, the following important note on False 

 Nux- Vomica seed. 



"A new kind of nux-vomica seed was recently sent over from Burma and 

 offered to manufacturers, bub on examination it was found to contain no 

 strychnine. The seed is of a light grey colour externally and yellow inter- 

 nally. The yellow endosperm is much lighter in colour than that of Strychnos 

 A ux-vomica, which is usually dark grey and more translucent. The outer 

 surface is densely covered with closely appressed hairs. The seed is 

 flattened, round, or elliptical, and has a ridge around the edge where the two 

 disc-shaped masses of endospern meet. There is no trace of bitterness in the 

 taste, which in itself is good proof of the total absence of strychnine. 



Transverse radial sections of the seed were cut and examined. The three 

 tissues present are the endosperm, the layer of collapsed parenchyma, and 

 the hairs. The internal mass of endosperm is almost identical with that 

 of Strychnos Nux-vomica. The outermost layer, shows a slight difference. 

 In the genuine nux-vomica seed the cells of this layer have frequently 

 more or less triangular ends, while in the false seed these cells are more 

 usually square-ended. These cells vary somewhat and square ends occur 

 rather too frequently in the genuine seed to permit of any diagnostic 

 value being attached to this character. The layer of parenchyma, is the 

 same in both seeds. The bases of the hairs, are practically identical, but 

 the angle which the rest of the hair makes with the hair base is slightly 



