— 161 — 



on a previous occasion, has resumed his researches in collaboration with 

 H. Franzen 1 ), and has subjected hornbeam leaves to steam-distillation. 

 The distillate was diluted with an alcoholic solution of benzohydrazide 

 (benzoylhydrazine), yielding a hydrazone melting at 167°. From this hydra- 

 zone an aldehyde was obtainable which was found to possess the formula 

 C5H9CHO and which, when oxidised with oxide of silver, gave «,/?-hexy- 

 lenic acid. Hence the aldehyde is a,/?-hexylenic aldehyde, CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 

 •CH:CHCHO. 



This aldehyde has not only been found in the leaves of hornbeam, 

 but also in those of edible chestnut, grape-vine, brake, common alder, 

 maple, oak, lupine, clover, copper-beech, raspberry, hazelnut and walnut. 

 The leaves of horse-chestnut and linden yielded a sparingly-soluble hydra- 

 zone, m. p. 234 to 238°. It is to be surmised that hexylene aldehyde, 

 which appears to have a genetic affinity with glucose, plays an important 

 part in the metabolism of plants. 



Among the plants examined at Kew by Greshoff 1 ) there are many 

 which contain hydrocyanic acid, benzaldehyde, or methyl salicylate. These 

 are enumerated below in alphabetical order as a supplement to our pre- 

 vious communications 2 ). 



Botanical Name 



Hydrocyanic Acid occurs in 



Remarks 



Alectryon excelsum, Gaertn. 



in 



the leaves (plentiful) 





Anacyclus officinarum, Hayne 



M 



»> 



>i 





also contains benzaldehyde 



„ pedunculatus, Pers. 



M 



>» 



m 





» » 



Andrachne colchica, Fisch. 



)) 



)> 



M 



(plentiful) 





Anthemis cetnensis, Schouw. 



n 



n 



seed 







Anthemis altissima, L. 



>» 



M 



H 







n arvensis, L. 



»> 



M 



M 





[ contains the largest proportion of 



„ austriaca, J acq. 

 „ Blancheana, Boiss. 

 ,, chia, L. 



M 









| hydrocyanic acid (up to 0,15°/o). 

 1 In the other species the pro- 

 \ portion falls to 0,03%. 



„ Cota, L. 











in Anthemis the hydro cyan i-c acid 



„ cupaniana, Tod. 

 „ elbuensis, (?) 



)) 

 )) 



yy 







only occurs in the seed, not in 

 the other parts of the plant. 



„ montana, L. 



r> 



>> 



)> 







n rigescens, Willd. 



>) 



»» 



>» 







Canella alba, Murn. 



)> 



n 



leaves 







Cercocarpus parvifolius, Nutt. 



>) 



)) 



M 







!) Quoted from Pharm. Ztg. 55 (1910), 804. 



J ) Pharm. Weekblad 47 (1910), 146, 170, 193. Quoted from Apotheker Ztg. 25 (1910), 681. 



2 ) Report April 1900, 47; October 1905, 110; October 1906, 107; April 1907, 127; October 1907, 134; 

 November 1908, 162. Also compare Gildemeister and Hoffmann's Die atherischen Ole, 2 nd Ed. Vol. I, 

 pp. 438, 523, 549. 



11 



