N. O. APOCYNACE./E. 
781 
IT. Polychroic solution (orangeyellow-violet-blue) in concentrated sulphuric 
acid. III. A quickening, emphasising, and sometimes a characteristic modifying, 
of colour reaction II, when to the sulphuric acid are added small quan- 
tities of (a) phenols (thymol, a-naphthol, cresol, or glycocholic acid), or 
(1>) aldehydes (furfuraldehyde, carie-sugar, vanillin, heliotropin, &c.). 
Reaction III (a) seems to indicate that cerebrin is a glucoside, 111. (b) that 
it is a phenol. As a matter of fact, cerebrin is hydrolysed when heated with 
alcoholic sulphuric acid for two hours, and yields a small quantity of sugar, 
probably glucose, and 62 per cent, of cerberetin C 19 H 2l5 0 4 (?), a lemon-yellow, 
amorphous powder, which melts at 85'5° (corr.), is optically inactive, and 
is precipitated from its solution in alcohol by the addition of water ; the 
alcoholic solution has, even when diluted to 1 : 6000, a perceptible yellow 
color. Like cerebrin, it is a poison. Observations of the physiological action 
of cerberin agree with those of Zotos (Dissertation Dorpat, 1892); it has the 
advantages, without the disadvantages, of digitalin. J. Ch. S. 1893 A.I. p. 487. 
The seeds are very poisonous, and were found by Plugge in 1893 to contain 
cerberin, a heart poison. The seeds yield 65 per cent, of a bland fixed oil, 
of a pale yellow colour, which is used for burning and for anointing the head. 
The specific gravity at 15'5° is 0'919 ; it affords 95 5 per cent of fatty acids, 
melting at 84°. (Hooper.) 
750. Rhcizya striata , Decaisne, h.f.b.i., hi . 640. 
Vern . : — Sunwar (H.) ; Wena ; Gandera (Pb.) ; Seliar, Seewur 
(Sind.); Wargalion ; Vargalum (Pushtu) ; Ishawarg (Mushree). 
Habitat Sind, Salt-range and Peshawar. 
A small, glabrous, very stout, erect, sparingly branched, leafy 
shrub, gregarious. Leaves alternate, lanceolate or oblanceolate 
acute, coriaceous, 2-4in., by J-fin., Yellowish when dry, sessile. 
Flowers in short, axillary, stoutly branched cymes, shortly and 
stoutly pedicelled ; white ; tube |in., upper half inflated ; lobes 
ovate, mucronate, short. Ovary of two distinct carpels. Style 
filiform, top broad, thickened ; stigma sometimes furnished 
with a reflexed membrane. Ovules numerous, 2-seriate in eaeh 
carpel. Fruit of 2 erect follicles, 2-3 by ^in., thinly coriaceous, 
slightly compressed ; seeds numerous, flat, with short mem- 
branous wings at two ends, -§in. long Embryo straight, in a 
fleshy albumen. 
Uses : -The juice of the leaves is given with milk to child- 
ren for eruptions, and an infusion of them is very useful for 
soreihroat, low fevers and general debility. The leaves, which 
are very bitter, are sold in the bazars in Sind, the natives using 
