Barosma betulina, (Thunberg) Bartling et Wendland, serratifolia, (Curtis) Willdenow.

The dried leaves, with not more than 10 p. c. of stems, foreign matter.

Habitat. S. Africa, Cape Colony (Cape of Good Hope, Cape Town); mountains. Syn. Bookoo, Buku, Bucku, Bucco; Br. Buchu Folia, Folia Bucco, Diosmse or Barosmae; Fr. Feuilles de Bucco (Booko, Buchu); Ger. Bucku or Buccoblatter. Ba-ros'ma. L. fr. Gr.

heavy, +

odor - i. e., its powerful smell.

Be-tu-li'na. L. betulinus, fr. Celtic betu, their name for birch - i. e., leaves resembling birch leaves.

Ser-ra-ti-fo'li-a. L. serratus, notched like a saw, + folium, a leaf - i. e., leaves with margins saw-like, serrated.

Buchu (bu'ku). African plant name; Diosma, old name, meaning "divine odor."

Plants. - Woody shrubs, .3-1.2 M. (1-4°) high, branches many, stiff, angular, bark smooth, purple; young twigs covered with immersed oil-glands; flowers solitary, pink; calyx 5 segments, deeply cut; petals

Fig. 219. - Barosma crenulata: 1, calyx; 2, style and stigma; 3, fruit; 4. seed;

5, dots on leaf.

5, glandular-punctate; stamens 5; fruit 5-coccus capsule, adherent by inner margins, 9 Mm. (3/8') long, 12 Mm. (J') broad, 5-seeded. Leaves (B. betulina): Short, rhomboidally oval, obovate, 9-25 Mm. (3/8-1') long, 4-13 Mm. (1/6-1/2') broad, apex obtuse, recurved, serrate, finely dentate, oil gland at the base of each tooth, cuneate base, yellowish-green, coriaceous, glandular-punctate, both surfaces papillose, under longitudinally striate, petiole 1 Mm. (1/25') long, odor and taste characteristic, aromatic, mint-like; (B. serratifolia): Long, linear-lanceolate, 2.5-1 Cm. (1-13/5) long, 4-6 Mm. (1/6-1/4') broad, apex rounded or truncate with an oil gland, serrate, glandular, otherwise resembling the preceding; stems of both 1 Mm. (1/25') thick, yellowish-green, brownish, cylindrical, longitudinally furrowed, prominent leaf-scars nearly opposite to each other giving a jointed character. Powder, yellowish-green; microscopically - many sphaero-crystals from epidermis, and mucilage cells. Solvents: alcohol; boiling water partially. Dose, gr. 15-30 (1-2 Gm.).

Adulterations. - Leaves, branchlets, flowers and non-aromatic capsules of allied species, also leaves of Empleurum serruluhun, which are yellowish-green, acute, different odor and taste, less mucilaginous and contain volatile oil 1 p. c., without any crystalline content.

Fig. 220. - Buchu: a, b, Barosma crenulata; c, d, B. betulina; g, h, B. serratifolia; e, f, Empleurum serrulatum; b, c, f, g, natural size.

Commercial. - Grows in stony, hilly valleys; cultivated in gardens, since 1774, for persistent attractive flowers. There are two varieties: 1, Short (B. betulina), although often mixed with B. crenulata, whose leaves once were official, being somewhat similar but 18-30 Mm. (3/4-1 1/5') long, 6-8 Mm. (1/4-1/3') broad, flowers white; 2, Long (B. serra-

Fig. 221. - Buchu leaf: portion of a cross-section: pa, palisade cells; sp, spongy parenchyma; co, upper epidermis; eu, under epidermis; s, stomata.

Fig. 222. - Ruta graveolens.

tifolia), weaker than preceding - volatile oil .66 p. c, which is without diosphenol. Imported chiefly in large bales.

Constituents. - Volatile oil 1-1.6 p. c, bitter glucoside (barosmin), hesperidin, resin, gum, salts, ash 4-7 p. c.

Volatile Oil, C10H16O. - This gives the medicinal properties, and is obtained by distillation and rectifying over sodium; sp. gr. 0.969, contains some C10H18O (a body having peppermint-like odor), and upon cooling separates 30 p. c. barosma camphor, or phenol diosphenol, C10H16O2, a stearoptene occurring in white needle-like crystals, blackish-green with ferric salts.

Barosmin (diosmin, rutin). - Soluble in ether, volatile oils, dilute acids and alkalies, sparingly in alcohol, crystallizes in microscopic needles.

Preparations. - 1. Fluidextractum Buchu. Fluidextract of Buchu. (Syn., Fldext. Buchu, Fluid Extract of Buchu; Fr. Extrait fluide de Bucco; Ger. Buccofluidextrakt.)

Manufacture: Similar to Fluidextractum Sabal, page 95; menstruum: alcohol. Dose, exv-30 (1-2 Ml. (Cc.)).

Unoff. Preps.: Compound Fluidextract, 62.5 p. c, + cubeb 12.5, juniper berries 12.5, uva ursi 12.5, alcohol 67 p. c. q. s. 100. Elixir, 12.5 p. c. Compound Elixir, 25 p. c. (fldext. co.). Elixir urith Potassium Acetatet 8.5 p. c. Infusum Buchu (Br.), 5 p. c, dose, ℥ss-2 (15-60 Ml. (Cc.)). Tinctura Buchu (Br.), 20 p. c. (alcohol 60 p. c), dose, 3j-2 (4-8 Ml. (Cc.)).

Properties. - Diuretic, tonic, stimulant, carminative, diaphoretic; increases the fluids and solids of the urine, imparting peculiar odor; acts as a tonic, astringent, and disinfectant to the urinary tract, diminishing secretions. Large doses emetic, cathartic, causing burning in stomach, strangury; eliminated by the kidneys and bronchial mucous membrane.

Uses. - Gravel, lithemia, vesical catarrh, irritated urethra, gonorrhoea, gleet, chronic bronchitis, inflamed prostate, dropsy, retention or incontinence of urine, feeble digestion, flatulency; should not be given when inflammation is severe; often combined with alkalies, potassium hydroxide, etc. The native Hottentots, from whom the English and Dutch physicians learned its virtues, use an ointment as vulnerary, and a vinous tincture in gastric and vesical affections; they also value it as a perfume, rubbing the powdered leaves upon their greased bodies.

Allied Plants:

1. Barosma crenula'ta, official 1840-1900. B. Ecklonia'na, leaves oval, 2.5 Cm. (1') long, rounded at base, crenate, growing from pubescent shoots.