20 AMERICAN ROOT DRUGS. 



green color. As already stated, they surround the base of the stem in the 

 form of a star. Instead of stem leaves, there are very small, leaflike bracts 

 placed at some distance apart on the stem. From May to .July the erect 

 flowering spike, from 4 to 12 inches long, is produced, bearing white, urn- 

 shaped flowers, sometimes tinged with yellow at the apex, and having a I'ough, 

 wrinkled and mealy appearance. (PI. II, fig. 2.) The seed capsule is ovoid, 

 opening by three valves, and containing many seeds. When the flowers in 

 the spike are still in bud, there is a suggestion of resemblance to the female 

 spike of Chamaelirium with its fruit half formed. 



Several other species are recognized by botanists, namely, Aletris a urea Walt., 

 A. lutea Small, and -i. obovata Nash, but aside from the flowers, which in aurea 

 and lutea are yellow, and slight variations in form, such as a more contracted 

 perianth, the dift'erences are not so pronounced that the plants would require a 

 detailed description here. They have undoubtedly been collected with Aletris 

 fariuosa for years, and are sufficiently like it to be readily recognized. 



Description of rootstock. — Not only have the plants of Aletris and Chamae- 

 lirium been confused, but the rootstocks as well. There is, however, no re- 

 semblance between them. 



Aletris has a horizontal rootstock from one-half to 1^ inches in length, rough 

 and scaly, and almost completely hidden by the fibrous roots and remains of the 

 basal leaves. Upon close examination the scars of former leaf stems may be 

 seen along the upper surface. The rootlets are from 2 to 10 inches in length, 

 those of recent growth whitish and covered with several la.vers of epidermis 

 which gradually peel off, and the older rootlets of the rootstock showing this 

 epidermis already scaled off, leaving only the hard, brown, woody center. The 

 rootstock in commerce almost invariably shows at one end a tuft of the remains 

 of the basal leaves, which do not lose their green color. It is grayish brown 

 outside, whitish within, and breaks with a mealy fracture. It has no odor, and 

 a starchy taste, followed by some acridity, hvt no bitterness. 



Collection, prices. a)id umcs. — Aletris should be collected in autumn, and there 

 is no reason why collectors should make the common mistake of confusing 

 Aletris with Chamaelirium. By comparing the description of Aletris with that 

 of Chamaelirium, it will be seen that there is scarcely any resemblance. 

 Aletris ranges from ."^O to 40 cents a pound. 



As indicated under Chamaelirium, the medicinal properties have also been 

 considered the same in both plants, but Aletris is now regarded of value chiefly 

 in digestive troubles. Aletris was official in the United States Pharmacopoeia 

 from 1820 to 1870. 



BETHROOT. 



Trillium erect um L. 



Other common names. — Trillium, red trilliimi, purple trillium, ill-scented tril- 

 lium. birthroot, birthwort. bathwort. bathflower, red wake-i'obin. purple wake- 

 robin, ill-scented wake-robin, red-benjamin, bumblebee-root, daftydown-dilly, 

 dishcloth, Indian balm, Indian shamrock, nosebleed, squawflower. squawroot. 

 wood-lily, true-love, orange-blossom. Many of these names are applied also to 

 other species of Trillium. 



Habitat and rancjc. — Bethroot is a native plant growing in rich soil in damp, 

 shady woods from Canada south to Tennessee and Missouri. 



Description of plant. — This plant is a perennial belonging to the lily-of-the- 

 valley family (Convallariace??). It is a low growing plant, fi'om about 8 to 

 16 inches in height, with a rather stout stem, having three leaves arranged in 



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