LEAVES AND HERBS. 
215 
shrub indigenous to the mountains of California and 
Northern Mexico. 
Description. — Usually broken into fragments ; lam- 
ina lanceolate, 7 to 15 cm. long, 1 to 3 cm. broad ; apex 
acute ; base acute, slightly tapering into the petiole ; 
margin nearly entire or unevenly serrate ; upper sur- 
face yellowish green, glabrous, resinous ; under surface 
grayish green, reticulate, minutely tomentose between 
the reticulations, midrib light yellow, prominent; 
petiole 5 to 10 mm. long; texture coriaceous, brittle; 
odor and taste balsamic. 
Constituents. — A volatile oil ; resin about 25 per 
cent. ; eriodictyonic acid about 2 per cent. ; a glucoside 
ericolin; tannin and calcium oxalate. 
DIGITALIS (Fox Glove). 
The leaves of Digitalis purpurea (Fam. Scrophularia- 
cese), a biennial herb probably indigenous to Central 
and Southern Europe, and cultivated and naturalized 
in various parts of Europe and the United States and 
Canada. The leaves are collected in June from plants 
of the second year’s growth, just before the com- 
mencement of flowering, immediately dried and care- 
fully preserved. Germany furnishes the chief supply, 
the leaves from both cultivated and wild plants being 
used. 
Description. — Usually more or less crumpled and 
broken into fragments; lamina ovate-oblong or ovate- 
lanceolate, 10 to 25 cm. long, 5 to 15 cm. broad ; apex 
obtuse or rounded ; base somewhat cuneate, tapering 
into the petiole; margin dentate or crenate, the divi- 
sions with a yellowish-brown gland-like apex ; upper 
surface dark green, minutely hairy, somewhat wrinkled, 
with a single water-pore near the apex of each tooth ; 
under surface grayish green, midrib grayish brown ; 
