Diagnostic Icaturcs wliich have repeatedly been published for 

 "purcira /7;c;/ " include: (I) a \cr} dark, almost black color; (2) 

 transxerse constrictions or furrows; (3) longitudinal wrinkles, 

 and often, (4) green leafy shoots arising from the upper sides of 

 the "root". Together with the descriptions, published illustra- 

 tions o'i "purcira rc;^;/ "clearly suggest the morphology of a sub- 

 terranean rhi/ome; probabl> with jointed nodes ("transverse 

 constrictions"), scale-leaves with axillary buds giving rise to 

 leafy aerial shoots, and perhaps an occasional foliage leaf borne 

 upon light-exposed nodes of the rhi/ome. 



Although this may seem a minor semantic distinction relevant 

 only in comparative plant morphology, its potential commercial 

 and practical significance in medicine cannot be overemphas- 

 ized. The necessity of such accurate morphological distinctions 

 was fully appreciated bv Dr. Squibb (1872, 1877), who noted 

 differences in both potenc} and efficacy, of '"parcira roots" as 

 compared with its "woodv stems". It is widely recognized among 

 botanists and chemists, furthermore, that different organs of an 

 individual plant often reveal both qualitative and quantitative 

 chemical differences and different pharmacological effects {e.g., 

 Manske and Holmes, 1950). As noted by Thomas (1963), the 

 comparative phytochemistrv o{ pareira brava. curare plants and 

 other Menispermaceae is incompletely understood. Ideally, fu- 

 ture photochemical investigations of this family (and plants in 

 general) should carefully distinguish among the (1) plant organs 

 being analyzed. (2) their relative maturity and vigor, and (3) the 

 precise ecological conditions experienced by the individual. 



A 1 ETTER ANI) PAKEIRA BRAVA SPECIMENS 



FROM E. R. SQl'IBB 



Dr. Squibb was fully aware of the probable, botanical het- 

 erogeneit} of commercial pareira brava. as indicated by the 

 foregoing excerpts from his 1872 publication. In 1877, he sent a 

 letter of enquir> (Plate 1; Transcription #1), four commercial 

 samples of pareira brava (Plates 3 6), and a certificate of 

 authenticity from the importers pertaining to one of these 

 pareira shipments (Plate 2; Transcription #2) to Professors 



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