60 AMERICAN ROOT DRUGS. 



The flowers, as stated, are usually white, though the color may vary from 

 a pink to bluish or purple, and on account of its graceful spikes of pretty flowers 

 it is often cultivated in gardens as an ornamental plant. The fruits are small, 

 oblong, compressed, many-seeded capsules. 



Description of rootstork. — After they are dried the rootstocks have a grayish 

 brown appearance on the outside, and the inside is hard and yellowish, either 

 with a hollow center or a brownish or purplish pith. When broken the fracture 

 is tough and woody. The rootstock measures from 4 to 6 inches in length, 

 is rather thick and bent, with branches resembling the main rootstock. The 

 upper surface has a few stem scars, and from the sides and underneath numer- 

 ous coar.«e. lirittle roots are-produced, which have the appearance of having 

 been artificially inserted into the rootstock. (Fig. 23.) Culver's-root has a 

 bitter and acrid taste, but no odor. 



Collection, lirices, and uses.— The rootstock and roots should be collected in 

 the fall of the second year. When fresh these have a faint odor, resembling 

 somewhat that of almonds, which is lost in drying. The bitter, acrid taste 

 of Culver's-root also becomes less the longer it is kept, and it is said that it 

 should be kept at least a year before being used. The price jiaid to collectors 

 ranges from G to 10 cents a pound. 



fulver's-root, which is official in the United States Pharm^icopoeia, is used as 

 an alterative, cathartic, and in disorders of the liver. 



DANDELION. 



Taraxacum o/ficiiialc Weber." 



Si/nonyms. — Taraxacnni taraxaciini i L. ) Kavst. : " Taraxacum dens-leonis 

 Desf. 



Pharmacoijceial name. — Taraxacum. 



Other co)nmon namc.^. — Blow-ball, cankerwort, doon-head-clock, fortune-teller, 

 horse gow:in. Irish daisy, yellow gowan, one-o'clock. (Fig. 24.) 



Habitat and range. — With the exception, possibly, of a few localities in the 

 South, the dandelion is at home almost everywhere in the United States, being 

 a familiar weed in meadows and waste places, and especially in lawns. It has 

 been naturalized in this country from Europe and is distributed as a weed in 

 all civilized parts of the world. 



De.<tcription of plant. — It is hardly necessary to give a description of the 

 dandelion, as almost everyone is familiar with the coarsely toothed, smooth, 

 shining green leaves, the golden-yellow flowers which open in the morning and 

 only iu fair weather, and the round, fluffy seed heads of this only too ])lentiful 

 weed of the lawns. In spring the young, tender leaves are nmch sought after 

 by the colored market women about Washington, who collect them by the bas- 

 ketful and sell them for greens or salad. 



Dandelion is a perennial belonging to the chicory family (Cichoriacese). and is 

 in flower practically throughout the year. The entire plant contains a white 

 milky juice. 



Description of root. — The dandelion has a large, thick, and fleshy taproot, 

 sometimes measuring 20 inches in length. In commerce, dandelion root is usu- 

 ally found in pieces 3 to 6 inches long, dark brown on the outside and strongly 

 wrinkled lengthwise. It breaks with a short fracture and shows the thick 



"Although the combination Taraxacum taraxacum (L.) Karst. should be 

 accepted by right of priority, the usage of the Pharmacopoeia is followed. 



107 



