Tas. 7054, 
SMILAX ornata. 
(S. officinalis, Hanbury § Flickiger.) 
Native of Mexico. 
‘Nat. Ord. Littackx%.—Tribe Sminacea. 
Genus Smitax, Linn. ; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. iii. p. 763.) 
Smitax (Eusmilax) ornata ; frutex robustus, alte scandens, multicaulis, gla- 
berrimus, sparsim aculeatus, ramis ramulisque acute tetragonis, aculeis 
rectis v. recurvis, foliis amplis 6-10 poll. longis breviuscule petiolatis 
ovato-oblongis acuminatis 5-7-nerviis basi profunde et sepe inzqualiter 
(junioribus leviter) cordatis, petiolo et interdum costa subtus pauci- 
aculeato, vagina angusta bicirrhosa, umbellis in paniculas breves laxas dis- 
positis, floribus viridibus longiuseule pedicellatis, perianthii foliolis re- 
curvis obtusis, exterioribus ovato-oblongis, interioribus angustioribus 
lineari-oblongis, staminibus 6, filamentis dorso gibbosis antheras obtuse 
apiculatas subsquantibus. 
S. ornata? Lemaire Ill. Hortic. vol. xii. t. 489; A. DC. Monogr. Smilae. p. 211. 
S. macrophylla, var. maculata, Hort, Verschaffelt. (var. variegata, Hort. 
Williams). 
8. officinalis, Hanh. § Flick. Pharmacogr. Ed. 2, p. 704 (in note) ; Bentley & 
Trimen Med. Plant. vol. iv. t. 289 (non Kunth in Humb. & Bonpl. Nov. 
Gen. & Sp. vol.i.p.271.  . 
It is with regret that I have to introduce the subject of 
the present plate as having been by the distinguished 
authors of the “‘ Pharmacographia”’ incorrectly referred to 
the Smilax officinalis of Kunth; that is, to the plant which 
is believed to produce one of the Sarsaparillas of com- 
merce. That it was regarded as identical by such com- 
petent authorities as Hanbury and Fliickiger, and following 
them, by Bentley and Trimen, is not to be wondered at 
when the chaotic state of our knowledge of the Sarsaparilla- 
producing plants is considered ; for of these not one is even 
‘approximately known to botanists. It may be well, there- 
fore, before going further, to state briefly what is known 
of this subject, as given in detail by Hanbury and Fliickiger 
in their “ Pharmacologia,” and by Bentley and Trimen in 
“* Medicinal Plants.” 
Humboldt was the first to obtain specimens of a 
genuine Sarsaparilla-yielding Smilax (which were, how- 
June lst, 1889. A 
