PLANTS FURNISHING ROOT DRUGS. 



19 



(Iru'd rootstook, Imt wIkmi powdered it causes violent sueezluK. 'I'lie rootstock, 

 wliicli lias a l)itter and wvy arrid taste, is poisonous. 



Collection, pricrff. and uncs. — American lielleboic should be duj: in autumn 

 after the leaves have died, and washed and carefully dried, either in the whole 

 state or sliced in various ways. It deteriorates with age, and should therefore 

 not be kept longer than a year. 



The adulterations sometimes met witii are the rootstocks of related plants, 

 and the skunk-caltbage is also occasionally found mixed with it. but this is prob- 

 ably unintentional, as the two plants usually grow close together. 



Collectors of American hellebore 

 root receive from about .". to 1(» cents 

 a i>ound. 



American hellebore, otticial in the 

 United States rharmacopoeia, is an 

 acrid, narcotic i»oison. and has 

 emetic, diaphoretic, and sedative 

 l>roperties. 



.VI.ETRIS. 



Aid I is fiirinoKii \.. 



Oilier common names. — Stargrass. 

 l)hizingstar. mealy starwort, star- 

 wort. unict)rn-root. ti'ue unicorn-root, 

 nnicorn-plant. luiicorn's-horn. colic- 

 root, devil's-bit. ague-grass, ague- 

 root, aloe-root, crow-corn, huskwort. 



A glance at these connnon names 

 will show many that have been ap- 

 plied to other plants, especially to 

 Chamaelirium. with which Aletris is 

 so much confused. In order to guard 

 against this confusion as much as 

 possible, it is best not to use the com- 

 mon names of this plant at all, re- 

 ferring to it only by its generic name, 

 Aletris. 



Hahit and ranr/e. — Aletris occurs in 

 dry, generally sandy soil, from Maine 

 to Minnesota. Florida, and Tennessee. 



Description of plant. — As stated under Chamaelirium. this plant is often 

 confused with the former by collectors and others, although there seems to 

 be no good reason why this should be so. The plants do not resemble each 

 other except in habit of growth (see PI. II, figs. 1 and 2). and the trouble 

 undoubtedly arose from a confusion of the somewhat similar common names 

 of the plants, as, for instance. " stargrass " and " starwort." 



Aletris may be at once distinguished by the grasslike leaves, which spread 

 out on the ground in the form of a star, and by the slender spikes of rough, 

 mealy flowers. 



This native perennial, belonging to the lily family (Liliacese), is an erect, 

 slender herb, li to .3 feet tall, with basal leaves only. These leaves are 

 grasslike, from 2 to 6 inches long, and have a yellowish green or willow- 

 107 



Fig. 3. — American hellebore ( Veratrum viride). 



