PLANTS FURNISHING ROOT DRUGS, 



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Description of plant. — Tliis iiuliiionous plant is among the earliest of our 

 sjirinsr flowers, the waxy-white blossom, enfolded by the grayish green leaf, 

 usually making its aiipearance early in April. 'Phe stem and root contain a 

 blood-red juice. Bloodroot is a perennial, .and belongs to (he s.ime family as 

 (he opium poi»py, the I'apaver"acea\ Each bud on the thiik. horizontal root- 

 stock produces but a single leaf and a flowering scape, reaching about inches 

 in height (fig. 1.".). TJie plant is smooth, and both stem and leaves, especially 

 when young, present a grayish gi'een appearance, being covered with a "bloom " 

 such as is found on some fruits. The leaves are palmately 5 to 9 lobed. the 

 lobes either cleft at the apex or having a wavy margin, and .are borue on leaf 

 stems about (5 to U inches long. After the plants have 

 ceased flowering the leaves, at first only S inches long 

 and 4 to ."> inches broad, continue to expand until they 

 are about 4 to 7 inche^s long and (! to V2 inches broad. 

 The under side of the leaf is paler than the upper side 

 and shows prominent veins. The flower measures about 

 1 inch across, is white, r.ither waxlike in appearance, 

 with numerf)us golden-yellow stamens in the center. The 

 petals soon fall off. and the oblong, narrow seed pod de- 

 velops, attaining a length of about an inch. 



Description of motstock. — When dug out of the ground 

 bloodroot is rather thick, round, and fleshy, slightly 

 curved at the ends, and contains a quantity of blood-red 

 juice. It is from 1 to 4 inches in length., from A to 1 

 inch iu thickness, externally reddish brown, internally a 

 bright-red lilood color, and produces many thick, orange- 

 colored rootlets. (Fig. I.').) 



The rootstock shrinks considerably in drying, the out- 

 side turning dark bi-own and the inside orange-red or 

 yellowish with numerous small red dots, and it breaks 

 with a short, sharp fracture. It has liut a slight odor, 

 and the taste is bitter and acrid and very persistent. 

 The powdered I'oot causes sneezing. 



Collection, prices, and uses. — The rootstock should be 

 collected in autumn, after the leaves have died, and after 

 curing it should be stored in a dry place, as it rapidly 

 deteriorates if allowed to become moist. Age also im- 

 pairs its activity. The price paid to collectors for this root ranges from about 

 ."i to 10 cents a pound. 



Bloodroot was well known to the American Indians, who used the red juice 

 as a dye for skins and baskets and for painting their faces iind bodies. It is 

 official in the United States Pharmacopoeia, and is used as a tonic, alterative, 

 stimulant, and emetic. 



IJYDRANGEA. 



Fig. 15.— Bloodroot {San- 

 (ju inar ia en ria den »h ) , 

 flowering plant with 

 rootstock. 



Hydranfica (irhoresceus L. 



Other common names. — Wild hydrangea. seA^en-barks. 



Habitat and range. — Hydrangea frequents rocky river banks and ravines 

 from the southern part of New York to Florida, and westward to Iowa and Mis- 

 souri, being especially abundant in the valley of the Delaware and southward. 



Description of plant. — Hydrangea is an indigenous shrub, 5 to 6 feet or more 

 in height, with weak twigs, slender leaf steins and thin leaves. It belongs to the 

 hydrangea family (Hydrangeacese). The leaves are oval or sometimes heart 



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