HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS. 
be occasionally found in the New England States, but not 
common. Small quantities have been collected in Vermont 
and Connecticut, but it is very rare in Massachusetts. It is 
very abundant westward of the Alleghany Mountains, and 
may be found everywhere in Kentucky, Indiana, and Ohio. 
It grows in rich woodlands, deep valleys, and on the banks 
of streams. It is occasionally noticed in Pennsylvania spring- 
ing up at the base of hills, and generally on their northern 
side; near Philadelphia it is very rare. ‘The flowers are ex- 
ceedingly fugacious, the petaloid sepals falling off soon after 
they expand; they appear in April and May, and are suc- 
ceeded by the bright red fruit, which closely resembles a rasp- 
berry, but is not edible. 
Some botanists have thought it probable that the name 
Hyprastis had a reference to the natural situation of the 
plant, from dep, water, or vSpeta, an imbibing of water. It 
is extremely doubtful, says Professor Barton, whether this 
was really the derivation of the word, for the plant, as far as 
any thing of its natural history is known, is neither remark- 
able for imbibing nor for growing in the vicinity of water; 
neither does it appear to delight in a very moist soil, for where 
it is found in the greatest abundance, and where it grows 
most in profusion, it is confined altogether to shady woods 
of rich soil. : 
The root is perennial, of a bright yellow color, tortuous 
and rugged, from which proceed a great number of tolerably 
large fibrous portions. The fibres are rather more brilliant 
than the root. Stem simple, upright, pubescent or hairy, es- : 
pecially in the young state of the plant. It is terminated 
with two unequal leaves, beyond the smaller of which the 
peduncle projects, bearing a single white or very pale rose- 
colored flower. The leaves are at first small during the flo- 
rescence, but increase rapidly in size as the plant advances to 
maturity. The fruit is a berry, of a bright red color, consist- 
ing of a number of muriated acini, each of which contains 
one or two obovate seeds of a black color, having a minute 
CHEMICAL 
