a genus of Apocynum, the seeds of which—especially of C. Taughin, and C. Manghas of Madagascar and India—are deadly poisons, and were once used in the former country as a sort of ordeal in criminal cases.

in Grecian Mythology, a three-headed dog, born of Typhon and Echidna, and set to guard the entrance to Hades. He fawned upon those who entered, but devoured all who attempted to go back. He was, however, vanquished by Hercules, and dragged up to the light of day; when, in struggling, the foam that dropped from his mouth produced the poisonous herb called aconite or acoly's bane. Some have supposed that Cerberus is the symbol of the earth, or of all-devouring time; and that his three mouths represent the present, past, and future. The victory of Hercules over this monster denotes the conquest which that hero acquired over his passions. Bryant supposes that Cerberus was the name of a place, and that it signified the temple of the sun; deriving it from Kir Abor, the place of light. This temple was called also Tor-Caph-El, which was changed to ἀποσταλός; and hence Cerberus was supposed to have had three heads.