Convallariae Flores. Convallaria Flowers.

Related entries: Convallamarin - Convallarinum

Synonym.—Lily of the Valley.

Convallaria flowers are obtained from Convallaria majalis, Linn. (N.O. Liliaceae), a small plant, with a perennial creeping rhizome, indigenous to England, and distributed over Europe, North America, and Northern Asia. The whole plant is collected when in flower, and dried for medicinal use, but the inflorescence is said to be the most active part of the herb and should alone be used for medicinal purposes. The inflorescence is a scape which bears three to eight pedicellate, campanulate white flowers. When dried it becomes brownish-yellow. The perianth has six recurved teeth, and bears six anthers on its inner surface. The ovary is superior and three-celled, and contains from four to six ovules in each cell, the fruit being a berry, and becoming red when ripe. The dried flowers have a slight, fragrant odour and a bitter taste. Convallaria, U.S.P., consists of the dried rhizome and roots. The rhizome is of a varying length, and about 3 millimetres thick. It is cylindrical, wrinkled, whitish, or pale brown, and marked with circular scars. The nodes are annulated and bear the scars of roots, or the long, thin, tortuous branched roots. The fracture is fibrous, and exhibits a white interior. The odour is slight, the taste sweet, yet bitter and slightly acrid. It contains the same constituents as the flowers; the average dose of Convallaria, U.S.P., is 5 decigrams (7 ½ grains).

Constituents.—The chief constituents of the drug are two glucosides, convallamarin and convallarin. Convallamarin, C₂₃H₄₄O₁₂, has been obtained as a white crystalline powder with a bitter taste; convallarin, C₃₄H₆₂O₁₁, is also crystalline.

Action and Uses.—Convallaria flowers are used chiefly in the form of tincture, which may be prescribed in the same manner as Tinctura Digitalis. The difference between the action of convallaria and that of digitalis has not yet been defined. An extract and a liquid extract of convallaria are also prepared.

PREPARATIONS.

Extractum Convallariae, B.P.C.—EXTRACT OF CONVALLARIA.

Best given in the form of pills. Dose.—1 to 5 decigrams (2 to 8 grains).

Extractum Convallariae Liquidum, B.P.C.—LIQUID EXTRACT OF CONVALLARIA. 1 in 1.

May be prescribed in mixtures when a stronger preparation than the tincture is required. Dose.—3 to 6 decimils (0.3 to 0.6 milliliters) (5 to 10 minims).

Fluidextractum Convallariae, U.S.P.—Similar to Extractum Convallariae Liquidum, B.P.C., but prepared from the dried rhizome and roots of Convallaria majalis, Linn.

Tinctura Convallariae, B.P.C.—TINCTURE OF CONVALLARIA, 1 in 8.

Used for its action on the heart and circulation in the same manner as tincture of digitalis. Dose.—3 to 12 decimils (0.3 to 1.2 milliliters) (5 to 20 minims).

The British Pharmaceutical Codex, 1911, was published by direction of the Council of the Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.