No. 78. PTEROSPORA. 69 



lobed. Capsule globose, five celled^ semi five valvedy 

 valves septiferous, receptacle central, five lobed. Seeds 

 minute, obovafe, with a, terminal wing, membranaceous 

 and reticulated- 



HISTORY. A very singular plant, similar in habit to 

 ffypopythisy but with flowers like Androrneda* It had 

 long been known to herbalists, yet was unknown to bo- 

 tanists, when discovered by Dr. James, in 1816, near 

 Albany, and called Monotropa procera. In 1818, Nut- 

 tal established the genus, but mistook it for annual. It 

 has as yet been ft)und only in some sterile hilly sides, 

 in the State of New York, in Genessee, near Albany, 

 &c. It blossoms in July. It affords some varie- 

 ties, I. FlavicauUs. 2. Leucorhiza. S.Elatior. 4. Fau- 

 ciflora. 



PROPERTIES. The root is the officinal part, re- 

 sembJing thttt of Monotropa j it has a vapid smell, and a 

 mucilaginous astringent taste. It is employed by the 

 Indians, the herbalists, and the Shakers of New Leba- 

 non, as a valuable vermifuge, sudorific, anodyne, deob- 

 struent and menagogue. They distinguish two kinds 

 with purple and yellow stems, (called male and female) 

 pretending that the first is best, but obviously wrongly. 

 It is said to avail in all remittents, typhus, and nervous 

 fevers ; it produces a profuse perspiration, and often 

 stops the fever in a few hours. It also relieves the night 

 hectic fever, without debilitating the patients. ^ It avails 

 in pleurisies^ and erysipelatose fever. It is chiefly good 

 in all low stages of fevers- Employed also in coughs, 

 pains in the breast, arid other diseases of the breast, 

 made into a syrup. It is the base of some pectoral bal- 

 sams. Also taken in decoction and^ii> powder- My 

 experiments on this root in diseases olf the lungs, have 

 not yet satisfied me of its utility ; it appears useless in 

 scrofulous consumption, but is beneficial in hectic fever 

 and pains in the breast, much more so than Hepahca. 

 This plant being rare, is sold high by the Shaker* and 

 herbalists. The Eiipatorium^^ much more common, is 

 probably also a preferable equivalent. 



