186 
PH A RMA COONOS Y. 
fibers yellow, distinct, pith large, yellowish brown ; 
flowers subtended by two ovate, reddish, pubescent and 
glandular bracts, pedicel short, calyx turbinate, pubes- 
cent below, consisting of two alternate whorls of four or 
five obovate or oblanceolate sepals, the outer ones 10 or 
12 mm. long, obtuse, entire, purplish veined, persistent 
and becoming much elongated in the fruit, the inner 
about 3 to 4 mm. long, becoming shriveled and bent 
over the young fruit; carpels two, ovary about 1 mm. 
long, the upper portion very pubescent, styles exserted, 
about as long as the ovary, stigma large, compressed, 
with prominent papillae; fruit an ovoid achene, about 
2 mm. in diameter, inclosed by the remains of the 
calyx; odor slight; taste bitter and acrid. 
Constituents. — The active principle appears to be 
an amorphous substance cosotoxin ; several other prin- 
ciples have been isolated, but their real nature and 
properties have not been fully determined ; the drug 
also contains cosin (koussein); about 6 per cent, of a 
resinous principle ; volatile oil ; tannin about 24 per 
cent., and about 5 per cent, of ash. 
Adulterants. — Sometimes the flowers are stripped 
from the panicles and sold as such, when the drug is 
known as “loose cusso;” in this condition they are 
likely to be admixed with the staminate flowers, which 
are readily distinguishable and inferior in quality. 
V. FRUITS. 
The fruits of a large number of plants are used in 
medicine; these vary greatly, not only in their medic- 
inal properties, but also in their botanical origin. 
The active principles of fruits vary according to their 
Stage of development, so that fruits which contain 
relatively large amounts of poisonous principles when 
green or immature, may be quite free therefrom 
