Petals obovate, emarginate, with inflexed lobes, the exterior radiating and bifid. The fruit is spherical, a line and a half in diameter, somewhat coriaceous, carminative, and aromatic. Occasionally it is found in cultivation in the United States and South American States. When the fresh plant is bruised, it emits a disagreeable, bedbug-like odor, but by desiccation the fruit acquires its peculiar aromatic odor. The pleasant flavor is owing to a volatile oil, which may be procured by distillation.
Alcohol takes up the active properties of the seed, water only partially.
Action, Medical Uses, and Dosage. Its dose is from 20 to 60 grains.