14 



AMERICAN ROOT DRUGS. 



aud c-ousist of three smooth, oval leaflets; the latter are 3 to n inches long, and 

 from 1* to 3* inches wide, net veined, aud with one vein rnnning parallel with 

 the margins. The " flower " is curiously formed, somewhat like the calla lily, 

 consisting of what is known botanically as a spathe. within which is inclosed the 

 spadix. The spathe is an oval, leaflike part, the lower portion of which, in the 

 flower under consideration, is rolled together so as to form a tube, while the 

 upper, pointed part is usually bent forward, thus forming a flap or hood over 

 the tube-shaped part which contains the spadix. (Fig. 2.) In fact it is very 

 similar to the familiar flower of the calla lily of the gardens, except that, 

 instead of being white, the wild turnip is either all green or striped with very 

 dark purple, sometimes seeming almost black, and in the calla lily the "flap" is 

 turned back, whereas in the wild turnip it is bent forward over the tube. 



Inside of the spathe is the 

 spadix. also green or purple, 

 which is club shaped, rounded 

 at the summit, and narrowly 

 contracted at the base, where it 

 is surrounded by either the male 

 or female flowers or both, in the 

 latter case (the most infrequent) 

 the male flowers being placed 

 below the female flowers. In 

 autumn the fruit ripens in the 

 form of a bunch of bright scar- 

 let, shining berries. The entire 

 plant is acrid, but the root more 

 especially so. 



Description of " root."— The 

 underground portion of this 

 plant is known botanically as a 

 " corm," and is somewhat globu- 

 lar and shaped like a turnii). 

 The lower part of the corm is 

 flat and wrinkled, while the up- 

 per part is surrounded by coarse, 

 wavy rootlets. The outside is 

 brownish gray and the inside 

 white and mealy. It has no 

 odor, but an intensely acrid, 

 burning taste, and to those who may have been induced in their school days to 

 taste of this root wild turnip will be familiar chiefly on account of its never-to-be- 

 forgotten acrid, indeed caustic, properties. The dried article of commerce con- 

 sists of round, white slices, with brown edges, only slightly shrunken, and 

 breaking with a starchy fracture. 



Collection, prices, and Hses.— The partially dried corm is used in uiedicine. 

 It is dug in summer, transversely sliced, and dried. When first dug it is in- 

 tensely acrid, but drying and heat diminish the acridity. It loses its acridity 

 rapidly with age. Wild turnip brings from 7 to 10 cents a pound. 



The corm of wild turnip, which was official in the United States Pharma- 

 copoeia from 1820 to 1870, is used as a stimulant, diaphoretic, expectorant, and 

 irritant. 



Fin. '2. — Wild turnip {Aiisaema tripJnjUam). 



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