522 
Strop hanthus  Nicholsoni. 
( Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I     October,  1897. 
arrow  poison,  but  stated  that  it  was  so  used  by  the  Chipeta  people. 
The  plant  is  most  nearly  allied  to  S.  schuchardti,  Pax.,  and  may  be 
characterized  by  the  following  description  : 
Strophanthus  Nicholsoni,  n.  sp. — Frutex  dumosus,  ramis  griseofuscis,  vetustis 
glabris,  novellis  dense  tomentosio  ;  folia  (juniora  solum  visa,  ad  i  centimeter 
longa),  brevissime  petrolata,  crassa,  ovata,  basi  cordata,  obtusa,  utraque  facie 
velutina,  grisea,  nervis  in  conspicuis ;  cymae  secus  ramos  denudatos,  ramulum 
abbreviatum  terminantes,  abortu  1-3  florae,  pedunculo  calycem  subaequante, 
bracteis  auguste  linearibus  ;  calycis  segmenta  erecta,  linearia,  inequalia,  acuta 
duo  latiora,  diametro  millimetrum  aequantes,  corollae  tubo  paulo  breviora ; 
corolla  tola  pubescens,  fauce  interno  tenuissime  pubescente,  tubo  inferne  cylin- 
drico,  fauce  dilatato,  lobis  lanceolatis  ad  15  millimeters,  in  caudam  elongatam 
6-10  centimeters,  productis  ;  faucis  squamcs  tenuissime  pubescentes,  parvae,  ad 
2  millimeters  longae,  lanceolatae,  obtusae,  antherae  sagittatae  filamentis  glabris; 
ovarium  hirsutum  ;  fructus  purpureus  lenticellosus,  14-27  centimeters  longus  ; 
semina  1  yz  centimeters  longa  5  millimeters  lata,  dense  velutina,  pallide  brun- 
neo  alba,  aristae  parte  nuda  4^  centimeters,  comosa  6  centimeters  longa. 
The  main  branches  are  about  I  y2  centimeters  thick,  with  slightly 
swollen  internodes,  at  a  distance  of  about  4-7  centimeters,  dull  pur- 
plish-brown with  a  glaucous  surface,  but  strongly  marked  with  elon- 
gated brownish,  narrow  lenticels.  The  young  leafy  twigs  and  the 
pedicels  and  bracts  are  densely  velvety.  The  anthers  have  a  pro- 
jecting appendage  or  rib  at  the  back  near  the  base. 
This  species  resembles  S.  sarmentosus  in  flowering  before  the 
leaves  appear,  but  differs  in  its  erect,  bushy  habit,  small  flowers  and 
more  slender  flowering  branches.  From  S.  schuchardti  it  differs  in 
the  lateral  leafless  inflorescence,  the  linear  bracts  and  unequal  calyx 
segments,  in  the  latter  nearly  equalling  the  corolla  tube,  in  the 
whole  of  the  corolla  being  pubescent,  in  the  much  longer  tails  to  the 
segments  of  the  corolla,  and  in  the  pubescent  glands.  With  sul- 
phuric acid  the  section  of  the  seeds  gives  the  same  rose  color  as  the 
"white  woolly"  strophanthus  seed  of  commerce.  The  velvety  coat- 
ing of  the  seeds  hides  the  base  of  the  awn,  and,  like  that  of  the 
"  white  woolly  "  strophanthus  seeds,  the  hairs  look  white  when  their 
bases  are  presented  to  the  light,  and  brownish-fawn  color  when 
their  apices  are  turned  to  the  light.  The  average  measurements  of 
the  seeds  are  the  same. 
An  adulteration  of  magnesium  sulphate  with  zinc  sulphate  has  been  observed 
by  P.  A.  Iyamanna,  Boll.  Chim.  Farm.,  36,  198.  The  zinc  salt  may  be  detected 
by  the  addition  of  one  drop  of  solution  of  potassium  ferricyanide  to  a  solution 
of  the  suspected  salt,  when,  if  zinc  is  present,  a  brownish-yellow  precipitate  is 
produced. 
