124 THE ALKALOID FROM PITURIE. 
shrub or small tree about 8ft. high, with a stem at the thickest 
part at times as much as 6 inches in diameter. ood ligh: 
close-grained, So seiared, with a smell of vanille when newly 
cut. — spring up around the tree, from long, rough roots 
spre ear the surface. Leaves 3 to 34 inches long, pointed at 
both ends, e742 inch wide, mid-rib distinct, margin slightly recurved ; 
flower, a funnel-shaped tube, from } to 2 of an inchlong, hie five 
bluntish divisions, spreading to about Ps inch across. 
dish lines run from each division down the throat of the Ps as 
in the genus Myoporum, which latter may be known by having 
four or five stamens of equal length. The pistil of the pituri ex- 
tends to the length of tho two longer stamens. Stamens four, two 
long and two short; anthers, yellow, kidney-shaped, filament 
attached to the concave tile the anther bursting along the convex 
margin ; best seen by examining a flower that is just at the poim 
pocket lens. Ripe berries soon fall off, and should be looked for 
under the tree, as those gathered from the branches are not mature 
enough to germinate.” 
Wilson informs me that the blacks mix the piturie with the 
ashes of the leaves of a particular plant and usually roll the mix- 
ture up with a green leaf into the form of a quid before chewing ; 
the addition of the wood ashes is doubtless made for the same 
reason that lime is mixed with betel by the Malays and others, 
namely, for the purpose of slowly liberating the alkaloid during 
the process of mastication. The quid or bolus is, on cares 
co-smoking; it does not 
blacks “a with which i 
was at one time jeelsted: Asis shed case with other luxuries, it is 
reserved by the older men for their own use exclusively, neither 
women nor young men being allowed to use it. The . 
ed ome it appear to be much the same as those which tt ; 
te people to smoke and in certain cases chew tobacco. 
ve made no attempts to experiment upon the piri 
pe of Aheatieleid, sincethis part of thesubject hasbeen been very fully 
by Dr. Bancroft and ober observers. _ 
