ANoVSreVPiia/™'}  Poisonous  Nature  of  Jatropha  Urens.  527 
A  market  for  goldenseal  is  found  with  the  crude  drug  dealers 
and  manufacturing  druggists  in  most  large  cities.  This  root  is  also 
handled  on  commission  and  is  readily  purchased  by  fur  buyers  and 
traders  in  miscellaneous  forest  products.  The  estimated  annual 
consumption,  however,  is  only  100  tons,  and  as  only  about  500  acres 
would  be  needed  to  produce  that  amount,  overproduction  would  be 
easy.  Prospective  planters  must  bear  this  in  mind,  as  well  as  the 
fact  that  this  estimate  makes  no  allowance  for  the  wild  supply  of  the 
root,  which  is  still  a  factor,  although  rapidly  decreasing. 
Ginseng  growers  will  be  interested  in  the  new  bulletin  on  golden- 
seal. It  goes  into  great  detail  regarding  methods  of  cultivation,  and 
may  be  had  free  on  application  to  the  Division  of  Publications, 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C. 
THE  POISONOUS  NATURE  OF  THE  STINGING  HAIRS 
OF  JATROPHA  URENS1 
Jatropha  urens  is  one  of  the  most  abundant  Euphorbiaceous  plants 
growing  in  or  around  the  savannas  of  the  Pacific  coast  of  Central 
America.  Its  spread  is  favored  by  the  fact  that  the  cattle  avoid  it, 
and  because  it  is  not  kept  down  by  the  too  indolent  owners  of  the 
pastures.  Everywhere  it  has  the  reputation  of  being  extremely 
dangerous,  on  account  of  its  poisonous  effects. 
The  plant  is  easily  recognized:  It  is  herbaceous,  0.5  to  1.5  meter 
high,  regularly  ramified,  with  large,  palmatilobate  leaves,  white 
flowers  and  small,  3-celled  capsules.  All  parts,  trunk,  leaves,  flowers 
and  fruits  are  covered  with  long,  hard  and  glossy,  stinging  hairs, 
which  protect  the  plant  as  barbed  wire  protects  the  fortifications  of 
to-day.  It  would  seem  as  if  the  remarkable  glossiness  of  the  stinging 
hairs  might  warn  the  curious  against  approaching  or  touching.  As 
a  matter  of  fact,  the  animals,  either  by  instinct  or  on  account  of  the 
wisdom  acquired  through  some  previous  experience,  avoid  contact 
with  it. 
The  vernacular  name  of  Jatropha  urens  is  "  ortiga  "  or  "  ortiga 
brava  "  (nettle)  in  Panama,  and  other  parts  of  Central  America, 
indicating  somewhat  its  noxious  effects.  Sometimes  it  is  also  called 
"  chichicaste." 
1  Science,  October  23,  1914,  p.  609. 
