THE  AMEKICAN 
JOURNAL  OF  PHAR: 
V 
DECEMBER,  1914.  [      Q£Q   7  19l4 
BELLADONNA  AND  HYOSCYAmi^E!^3^ 
By  Edwin  L.  Newcomb,  College  of  Pharmacy,  University  of  Minnesota. 
Part  I. — Cultivation  Experiments. 
Atropa  Belladonna  and  various  species  of  Hyoscyamus  have  been 
carefully  studied  for  some  time  and  descriptions  have  been  prepared 
by  chemical  and  botanical  workers.  Recently  some  additional  ob- 
servations have  been  made  and  work  done  by  the  writer,  the  results 
of  which  seem  of  sufficient  importance  to  present. 
Seeds  of  Atropa  Belladonna  L.  and  of  various  species  and  varie- 
ties of  Hyoscyamus  were  secured  from  various  sources  and  plants 
propagated  from  them  used  for  the  work.  In  the  securing  of  seeds 
of  H.  niger  L.  and  of  H.  albus  L.  it  was  learned  that  other  botanical 
names  were  sometimes  applied  to  these  plants  and  that  some  con- 
fusion exists  in  the  use  of  the  various  synonyms.  According  to 
the  Index  Kewensis,  the  following  named  plants  are  identical  with 
Hyoscyamus  niger  L. :  H.  agrestis  Kit.,  H.  auriculatus  Tenore, 
H.  bohemicus  F.  W.  Schmidt,  H.  lethalis  Salisb.,  H.  oiHcinarum 
Crantz,  H.  pallidus  Waldstand  Kit.,  H.  persicus  Boiss  and  Buhse, 
H.  pictus  Roth.,  H.  syspirensis  C.  Koch,  H.  verviensis  Lej.,  and 
H.  vulgaris  Neck;  and  the  following  identical  with  Hyoscyamus 
albus  L. :  H.  aureus  All.,  H.  canariensis  Ker-gawl.,  H.  Clusii  G.  Don., 
H.  luridus  Salisb.,  H.  minor  Mill.,  H.  major  Mill.,  and  H.  varians 
Vis  in  Flora.  Unquestionably  there  is  a  wide  range  of  variation  in 
H.  niger  L.  and  H.  albus  L.,  and,  while  some  of  the  above  synonyms 
probably  arose  from  the  discovery  and  naming  of  the  plants  by  in- 
dependent workers  at  about  the  same  time,  still  others  represent 
1  Presented  to  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy  for  the  degree  of 
Master  in  Pharmacy  in  course. 
(53i) 
