N. ORD.—RANUNCULACE®. 9 
Tribe.—CIMICIFUGEA. 
GENUS.—H YDRASTIS,* LINN. 
SEX. SYST.—POLYANDRIA POLYGYNIA., 
HY DRASTIS. 
GOLDEN-SEAL. 
SYN.—-HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS, LINN.; WARNERIA CANADENSIS, 
MILL. 
COM. NAMES.—GOLDEN-SEAL, ORANGE-ROOT, YELLOW-ROOT, YELLOW- 
PUCCOON, GROUND-RASPBERRY, WILD CURCUMA, TURMERIC- 
ROOT, INDIAN DYE, INDIAN TURMERIC; (FR.) HYDRASTIS; (GER.) 
CANADISCHE, GELBWURZEL. 
“A TINCTURE OF THE FRESH ROOT OF HYDRASTIS CANADENSIS, LINN. 
Description.—This low perennial herb, now becoming quite rare in this State 
(N.Y.), grows from 6 to 10 inches high, its leaves and fruit much resembling those of 
the raspberry. A/zzome thick, sarcous, oblong, irregular and knotted, having a 
yellowish-brown, thin bark, and a bright-yellow interior; voot/efs numerous, scat- 
tered, coriaceous fibres. Szem simple, subcylindrical, thick, erect and very hairy, 
surrounded, at its point of issuance from the rootstalk, by several oblong, sheathing, 
scaphoid, greenish-yellow, leafy bracts. Leaves 2, alternate, near the summit of the 
plant, orbicular-cordate at the base, palmately five- to seven-lobed, the lobes doubly 
serrate, acute, veiny ; attaining, when full grown during the fruiting season, a width of 
from 4 to ro inches. The root sometimes puts off an accessory or root-leaf which 
answers to the characteristics of the stem-leaves, with the one exception, that it is 
petiolate whilé they are sessile. Peduncle about 1 inch long ; izflorescence—when 
fully expanded—a single, greenish-white, apetalous, asepalous flower. Sepa/s 3, 
pale-rose color, caducous. Petals none. Stamens numerous; filaments linear or 
linear-spatulate ; anthers oval, innate. Pistils numerous, twelve or more in a dense 
head ; ovary 1-celled, one- to two-ovuled ; styles short ; stigma flattened and dilated, 
one- to two-lipped. Frazt a succulent, globose berry, compounded of many minia- 
ture one- to two-seeded drupes ; appearing like an enlarged red-raspberry. Seeas 
inversely egg-shaped, nearly black and glossy ; eméryo basal, very small ; albumen 
sarcoid and oily. A description of the natural order may be found under Pulsa- 
tilla Nuttalliana, 1. 
* Derivation not positive, (?) tdxp, water ; dpiw, to act ; its juice being very active. 
‘ 
