1865.] GIBB— ON SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS. 439 



bad, thus showing that it is a hardy perennial. It is never found 

 in open cleared land, or if a plant is there seen, it is small, stunted, 

 and soon dies out. It may be converted into an annual by part- 

 ing its roots in the autumn, when it will blossom in the beginning 



<-J ' Do 



of April, and its seeds will ripen perhaps before June. In Eng- 

 land it flowers in the beginning of April, as in Canada ; its blossoms 

 are fugacious, and fully expand in fine warm weather. Some- 

 times, in Canada, the flowering may be tardy, if the sprino- is 

 unusually late ; but, as a rule, the moment the snow disappears this 

 charming little plant shows itself and flourishes luxuriantly. 



The Sanguinaria Canadensis, or Bloodroot, possesses several 

 names derived from its leading peculiarities and uses. It was 

 called Bloodwort, Bloodroot, Bethroot, and Sanguinaria, from 

 the circumstance of its fleshy roots pouring forth a bright red or 

 orange juice when broken asunder. The color may, perhaps, be 

 pronounced an orange scarlet. This juice is used by the Indians, 

 as a dye, and as a paint, to smear their bodies, and hence called 

 Indian Paint, Indian Turmeric, Puccoon, Red Puccoon, 

 Bed Root, &c. The juice pervades all parts of the root, 

 and exudes from a cut or wound on any part of it. It also 

 follows on cutting the leaves and footstalks, but to a smaller extent. 

 In Charlevoix's time the juice was preserved for the purpose of 

 staining furniture. 



Habitation. — Canada is essentially the country of the Blood- 

 root ; hence its name, especially as it was first discovered in that 

 part of the British Empire. It grows in abundance throughout 

 the woods of Canada, and is found plentifully on the shores of 

 Lake Superior. I believe it will be found as far eastward as 

 Labrador, and to the north of the Saskatchewan, on the eastern 

 side of the Rocky Mountains. 



It exists throughout the United States, south of Canada, and is 

 found as far as Florida. Professor Barton says, it is found every- 

 where west of Delaware. And in the course of my investi- 

 gations into the history of the plant, I find that it luxuriates in 

 every State throughout the great American Union, possibly some- 

 what varying in its general characters. 



The Sanguinaria was found in the eastern woody district, or 

 first of the subdivisions of the First Zone, described by Sir John 

 Richardson, in the journal of his Arctic Searching Expedition, in 

 search of Sir John Franklin. " This zone extends over the 



