Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
Feb.,  1891. 
Useful  Plants  of  Algeria. 
79 
Cytinace^e. — Cytinus  hypocistis  is  extremely  common  in  Algeria. 
It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  extract  obtained  from  the  juice,  which 
was  formerly  a  valuable  astringent  medicine,  has  fallen  into  disuse. 
Urticace^e. — Parietaria  officinalis  is  abundant,  and  collected  for 
medical  use  and  exported.  The  seeds  of  Urtica  pilulifera  are 
employed  in  native  medicine  under  the  name  of  Oundjoura. 
Cannabinace/E. —  Cannabis  indica,  under  the  name  of  kif  is  habitu- 
ally smoked  by  the  natives,  and  all  the  measures  to  restrain  its  use 
have  been  ineffectual.  Hence  there  is  an  important  traffic  carried 
on  in  this  product. 
Juglandace^e. — Juglans  regia.  The  leaves  are  collected  in 
small  quantity  for  medical  use.  The  bark  of  the  roots  is  employed 
as  a  dentifrice  by  the  Arabs,  who  have  in  general  remarkably  fine 
teeth. 
Conifers. —  Cedrus  Libani.  Although  this  cedar  is  abundant  in 
Algeria,  it  is  remarkable  that  no  use  has  been  made  of  the  odorifer- 
ous wood,  and  the  resin  which  has  an  agreeable  citron  odor.  What 
is  sold  as  cedar  oil  is  obtained  from  Juniperus  virginiana. 
Callitris  quadrivalvis.  The  resin,  very  partially  collected,  consti- 
tutes the  sandarac  of  commerce. 
Pinus  halepensis  furnishes  also  an  abundant  resin. 
Juniperas  Oxy cedrus .  is  very  common,  and  is  sought  by  the 
natives  for  the  manufacture  of  oil  of  cade. 
Liliacee. — Scilla  mariiima,  s.  Urginea  Scilla.  Before  the 
clearance  of  the  land  this  squill  covered  all  the  culturable  lands  of 
the  Tell.  It  attains  a  large  size,  the  bulb  often  weighing  14  or  15 
pounds.  It  is  collected  in  large  quantities  for  medicine,  owing  to 
its  bitter  principle.  The  house  of  Legout  &  Peyron,  of  Alger, 
export  annually  about  1,300  pounds  of  the  dried  bulbs.  All  the 
aloes  are  easily  cultivated,  but  no  useful  product  is  obtained  from 
them. 
Amaryllide^:. — Agave  americana-'is  very  common,  but  is  not  now 
employed  medicinally  as  formerly.  The  pulp  obtained  in  crushing 
the  leaves  is  rubefiante.  According  to  Marcano  if  meat  is  moistened 
with  the  sap  of  the  Agave  it  soon  develops  a  pepsinogenous 
mycelium,  which  transforms  the  flesh  into  peptone.  Among  the 
other  amaryllids  formerly  employed  in  medicine  were  the  Pan- 
cratium maritimum  very  common,  and  Amaryllis  Belladonna,  said  to 
be  poisonous,  much  grown  for  ornament. 
