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PHARMACOGNOSY. 
ARNICiE FLORES (Arnica Flowers). 
The dried expanded flower-heads of Arnica montana 
(Fam. Composite), a perennial herb indigenous to Cen- 
tral Europe, and growing in the mountains of Switzer- 
land, Asia and Western North America. In Germany, 
on account of the involucre and receptacle being 
injured by the larvae of the insect Trypeta arnicivora, 
these parts are removed and the flowers alone used. 
Description. — Sub -globular or truncate - conical, 
about 15 mm. in diameter ; involucre campanulate, 
bracts twenty to twenty-four in two rows, linear-lance- 
olate, dark green, pubescent, glandular; receptacle 
solid, slightly convex, deeply pitted, bristly hairy; ray 
or ligulate flowers fourteen to twenty, about 2 cm. 
long, bright yellow, pistillate, corolla three-toothed, 
seven to twelve-veined, very pubescent and glandular 
below, ovary about 4 mm. long, erect, pubescent and 
glandular, pappus consisting of a single row of about 
thirty rough bristles; disk op tubular flowers forty or 
fifty, about 17 mm. long, perfect, bright yellow, corolla 
five-toothed, very glandular and pubescent below, 
ovary about 6 mm. long, glandular and pubescent; 
achene spindle-shaped, dark brown, finely striate, 
glandular-pubescent and surmounted by a pappus of 
white barbed bristles about 7 mm. long; odor distinct; 
taste bitter and acrid. 
Constituents. — A bitter crystalline principle, arni- 
cin, and volatile oil 0'5 to 1 per cent. 
Adulterants. — Arnica flowers are not infrequently 
adulterated with the flowers of various other Com- 
positse, or even entirely substituted by them ; of these 
may be mentioned the flowers of Calendula officinalis 
(see Calendula) ; species of Inula, the achenes of which 
are glabrous; and Tragopogon pratensis, the ligulate 
flowers of which are five-toothed at the apex. 
