34 



AMERICAN MEDICINAL LEAVES AND HERBS. 



SQUAW VINE. 



Mitchella re pens L. 



Other common namea. — Checkerberry, partridgeberry, deerberry, hive vine, squaw- 

 berry, twinberrv, chickonberry, cowberry, boxberry, foxberry, partridge vine, winter 



clover, wild running box, 

 oneberrj', pigeonberry, 

 pnakebeiTy, two-eyed ber- 

 ry, squaw-plum. 



Habitat and range. — The 

 ^jquaw vine is common in 

 woods from Nova Scotia 

 to Minnesota and south to 

 Florida and Arkansas, 

 where it is generally found 

 creeping about the bases 

 of trees. 



Description. — This slen- 

 der, creeping or trailing 

 evergreen herb, a member 

 of the madder family 

 (Rubiacesc), has stems 6 

 to 12 inches long, rooting 

 at the joints, and roundish- 

 oval, rather thick, shining, 

 dai'k-green opposite leaves 

 about half an inch in 

 length, whidi are blunt at 

 the apex and rounded or 

 somewhat heart shaped at 

 the base, with margins 

 entire. Sometimes the 

 leaves show whitish veins. 

 The plant flowers from 

 about April to June, pro- 

 ducing fragrant whitish, 

 sometimes pale-pur]ilish, 

 funnel-shajHHl and 4-lobed 

 flowers, two borne to- 

 gether on a stalk and having the ovaries (seed-bearing portion) united, resulting in 

 a double, berry like fruit. These fruits are red and contain eight small, bony 

 nutlets. (Fig. 20.) They remain on the vine through the winter and are edible, 

 though practically tasteless. 



Collection, prices, andiises. — The leaves and stems (herb) are collected at almost any 

 time of the j'ear and range in price from about 3i to 4 cents a pound . 



The leaves have no odor and are somewhat astringent and bitter. Squaw vine has 

 tonic, astringent, and diuretic i:)roperties. 

 219 



Fig. 20.— Squaw vino (Mitchella rcpcns), loaves and fruit.s. 



