Class XXIII. Order II. 375 



mous. The seed vessel consists of three capsules united togeth- 

 er, separating at top and opening on their inner side. Seeds 

 flat, imbricated. June. Perennial. 



The root of this plant, when taken internally, produces violent 

 effects, and is dangerous in considerable quantities. It is chiefly 

 used in the country as an external application in cutaneous af- 

 fections. From its great affinity in habit to the Veratrum album, 

 an European species, which has lately acquired considerable ce- 

 tebrity as a remedy in gout ; the American plant is particularly 

 entitled to the attention of physicians. 



DKECM. 



436. PANAX. 



PANAX QUINQUEFOLIUM. Ginseng. 



Bigelow, Medical Botany, PI. xxix. 



Root fusiform ; leaves three, quinate ; leafcts oval, 

 acuminate, serrate, petioled. 



The root of the Ginseng consists of one or more fleshy, ob- 

 long and somewhat fusiform portions, of a whitish colour, trans- 

 versely wrinkled, and terminating in various radicles. Its upper 

 portion is slender and marked with the scars of the former 

 shoots. Stem smooth, round, green, with often a tinge of red, 

 regularly divided at top into three petioles, with a flower stalk 

 at their centre. Petioles round, smooth, swelling at base. 

 Leaves three, compound, containing live, rarely three or seven 

 leafets. The partial leafstalks are given off in a digitate man- 

 ner, and are smooth, compressed and furrowed above. Leafets 

 oblong, obovate, sharply serrate, acuminate, smooth on both 

 sides, with scattered bristles on the veins above. The flowers, 

 which are small, grow in a simple umbel on a round, slender pe- 

 duncle, longer than the petioles. The involucrum consists of a 

 multitude of short subulate leafets, interspersed with the flower 

 stalks. These stalks or rays are so short as to give the appear- 

 ance of a head, rather than an umbel. In the perfect flowers 

 the calyx has five small, acute teeth ; the corolla h' vc petals, 

 which are oval, reflexed and deciduous. Stamens live, with ob- 

 long anthers. Styles two, reflexed, persistent; germ large, in- 

 ferior, ovate-heart shaped, compressed. The berries are kidney 

 shaped, retuse at both ends, compressed, of a bright sairlet en- 



