PLANTS FURNISHING ROOT DRUGS. 21 



a whorl near tlie top. These leaves are broadly ovate, almost circular in out- 

 line, shari) pointed at the apex and narrowed at the base, 3 to 7 inches long 

 and about as wi(h'. and jiractically stendess. 



Not only the leaves of this plant, but the tlowers and parts of the tlowers 

 are arranged in threes, and this feature will serve to identify the plant. 

 (PI. I, tig. 4.) The solitary ternnnal flower of bethroot has three sejtals and 

 three petals, both more or le.ss lance shaped and si)reading. the former greenish, 

 and the petals, which are 1] inches long and one-half incii wide, are sometimes 

 dark purple, ]ilnk, greenish, or white. The tlower has an unpleasant odor. It 

 appears from April t<t .lune and is followed Later in the season by an oval, 

 reddish berry. 



Various other species of Trillium .ire used in medicine, possessing prop3rties 

 sinnlar to those of the sjjecies under consideration. These are also very similar 

 in appearance to TrUliuiii erect iiiii. 



Description of root. — Bethroot (I'l. I. tig. 4). as found in the stores, is short 

 and thick, of a light-brown color externally, whitish or yellowish inside, some- 

 what globular or oI)long in sliape. and coverett all around with numerous pale- 

 brown, shriveled rootlets. The toi> of the root generally shows a .succession of 

 fine circles or rings, and usually bears the remains of stem bases. 



The root has a slight odor, and is at tirst sweetish and astringent, followed by 

 a bitter and acrid taste. When chewed it causes a flow .of saliva. 



Collection, prices, and uses. — Bethroot is generally collected toward tlie close 

 of sunnner. The price ranges from 7 to 10 cents a iiound. 



It was much esteemed as a remedy among the Indians and early .settlers. 

 Its present use is that of an astringent, tonic, and alterative, and also that of 

 an expectorant. 



WIIJ) YAM. 



Difjtscorea villosa L. 



Other common HflHfc.s.^Dioscorea. colicront, rheumatism-root, devil's-bones. 



Habitat and ranye. — Wild yam grows in moist thickets, trailing over adjacent 

 shrubs and bushes, its range entending from Rhode Island to Minnesota, south 

 to Florida and Texas. It is most common in the central and southern ix)rtions 

 of the United States. 



Description of plant. — This native perennial vine is similar to and belongs 

 to the same family as the well-known cinnamon vine of the gardens — namely, 

 the yam family (Dioscoreacese). It attains a length of about in feet, the 

 stem smooth, the leaves heart shaped and 2 to inches long by 1 to 4 inches 

 wide. 



The leaves, which are borne on long, slender stems, are thin, green, and 

 smooth on the upper surface, paler and rather thickly hairy on the under sur- 

 face. The small greenish yellow flowers are produced from .June to July, the 

 male flowers borne in drooping clusters about 3 to <; inches long, and the female 

 flowers in drooping spikelike heads. The fruit, which is in the form of a dry, 

 membranous, 3-wlnged, yellowish green capsule, ripens about September and 

 remains on the vine for some time during the winter. (PI. II, fig. 3.) 



Growing farther south than the species above mentioned is a variety for 

 which the name glabra has been suggested. 



According to C. G. Lloyd (King's American Dispensatory, Vol. I, 1898), 

 there is a variety of Dioscorea villosa the root of which first made its appear- 

 ance among the true yam roots of commerce, and which was so different in 

 form that it was rejected as an adulteration. The plant, however, from 

 107 



