=Description.=—This well-known rank and ill-scented poisonous weed is an annual about 2 to 5 feet in height, and belongs to the potato family (Solanaceæ). Its yellowish-green stems are stout, leafy, and much forked. The leaves are large, 3 to 8 inches long, thin, smooth, pointed at the apex and usually narrowed at the base, irregularly waved and toothed, veiny, dark green on the upper surface and paler green beneath. The rather large, showy flowers are produced from May to September. They are white, funnel shaped, about 3 inches long, and have a heavy odor. The seed pod is a dry, oval, prickly capsule, which, when quite ripe, bursts open and discloses four valves, containing numerous black, kidney-shaped seeds. (Fig. 27.) The seeds are ill-smelling when fresh, as is the entire plant. They are dull black, about one-sixth of an inch long, flattened, wrinkled, and marked with small depressions. =Parts used.=—Both the leaves and seeds are medicinal. The leaves are collected at the time of flowering, the entire plant being cut or pulled up and the leaves stripped and dried in the shade. The unpleasant narcotic odor diminishes upon drying. The leaves are poisonous, cause dilation of the pupil of the eye, and are used principally in asthma. For the collection of the seeds the capsules should be taken from the plants when they are quite ripe, but still of a green color. The capsules should then be dried for a few days, when they will burst open and the seeds can be readily shaken out. These should now be carefully dried. The seeds like the leaves are poisonous and possess the same properties. Occasional cases of poisoning of children occur from eating the seeds of jimson weed and taking the flowers in their mouths. =Imports and prices.=—From 100,000 to 150,000 pounds of stramonium leaves (the name by which they are designated in the drug trade) are imported into this country annually, and about 10,000 pounds of seeds are imported. The leaves will bring from 2½ to 8 cents per pound, and stramonium seeds from 3 to 7 cents per pound. [Illustration: FIG. 27.—Leaves, flower, and capsules of jimson weed.] Purple thorn-apple. The purple thorn-apple, technically known as _Datura tatula_, is very similar to the jimson weed, possesses the same properties, and is distinguished from it merely by its reddish stems and purplish flowers. The leaves and seeds may be gathered with those of the jimson weed. POISON HEMLOCK. _Conium maculatum_ L. =Other common names.=—Spotted parsley, St. Bennet’s herb, bad-man’s oatmeal, heck-how, wode whistle, cashes, bunk, poison parsley, spotted cowbane. (Fig. 28.) =Range and habitat.=—Poison hemlock is rather common in waste places and along roadsides, principally in the Eastern and Middle States. It has been naturalized in this country from Europe.