Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
November,  19 17. 
Current  Literature. 
549 
The  receptacle  (the  enlarged  end  of  the  flowering  stalk)  is  smooth 
in  the  flowers  of  Inula  britannica  L.,  but  hairy  in  true  arnica  flowers. 
There  is  an  abundance  of  hairlike  structures  of  certain  flower  parts 
developed  in  both  species,  which  are  the  cause  of  a  somewhat  similar 
appearance  of  the  products.  (Service  and  Regulatory  Announce- 
ments}  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agriculture.) 
Belladonna  Leaves  Substitute. — Examination  of  samples  of 
importations  of  "  belladonna  leaves "  has  disclosed  that  Solanum 
nigrum  L.  has  been  substituted  in  some  instances  for  the  true  ma- 
terial. Since  this  species  contains  alkaloids  other  than  those  present 
in  the  genuine  belladonna  (Atropa  belladonna  L.),  official  in  the 
United  States  Pharmacopoeia,  the  department  will  recommend  the 
exclusion  from  the  United  States  of  any  shipment  labeled  "  Bella- 
donna leaves  "  but  consisting  wholly  or  in  part  of  Solanum  nigrum. 
(Service  and  Regulatory  Announcements,  U.  S.  Dept.  of  Agricul- 
ture.) 
Buchu  Leaves  Substitute. — Attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that 
samples  labeled  as  "  long,"  "  short,"  and  "  oval "  buchu  leaves  and 
offered  in  the  trade  have  been  found  to  be  obtained  from  species  not 
official  in  the  United  States  Pharmacopoeia.  The  "long  buchu" 
proved  to  be  Empleurum  serratulatum  Sol.  et  Ait.,  the  "short 
buchu"  was  identified  as  Barosma  pulchellum  Bartling  and  Wend- 
land,  and  the  "  oval  buchu "  was  identified  as  Barosma  crenulata 
Hook,  var.  latifolia.  The  sizes  of  the  leaves  are  distinctly  different 
from  those  of  the  two  official  species,  Barosma  betulina  (Thunberg) 
Bartling  and  Wendland,  and  Barosma  serratifolia  (Curtis)  Willde- 
now,  given  in  the  Pharmacopoeia.  The  flavor  also  of  the  three 
adulterants,  especially  that  of  Empleurum  serratulatum  and  Barosma 
pulchellum,  is  markedly  different  from  that  of  the  official  species. 
Material  obtained  from  the  above-mentioned  unofficial  species 
should  not  be  used  in  official  preparations,  and  the  department  will 
recommend  the  exclusion  from  the  United  States  of  shipments  of 
any  such  material  unless  properly  labeled.  (Service  and  Regulatory 
Announcements,  U.  S.Dept.  of  Agriculture.) 
Dandelion  Root  of  Inferior  Quality. — Examination  of 
samples  from  a  recent  importation  of  dandelion  root,  Taraxacum 
officinale  Weber,  disclosed  the  presence  of  about  40  per  cent,  of 
