192 KANSAS ACADEMY OP SCIENCE. 



ent writer, who has compared the plants and their properties in these 

 lists with those of the most eminent authorities on these subjects in 

 the East, and availed himself freely of their use. 



There are still other medicinal plants in the state that are not con- 

 tained in this list ; and it is hoped that further investigations may be 

 made by our physicians, who may thereby discover something from 

 which additional valuable alkaloids, extracts, oils, tinctures, etc., may 

 be made. 



New discoveries are being made continually. For instance, a few 

 years ago the therapeutic value of echinacea, a plant common, if not 

 abundant, in this state, was unknown. Now it is one of the most im- 

 portant drugs of the materia medica, and commands a high price. 

 The price must rise as the demand increases, inasmuch as no efforts 

 so far have been made for cultivating the plant. 



A few cuts of some of the more important Western plants are in- 

 serted, to aid in identification. These are largely copied from Britton 

 and Brown's Illustrated Flora of North America. A few are original. 



It is hoped this crude list may yet prove of value. 



1. Abronia fragrane. Sandflower. (See figure.) Weetern Kansas. Aperient. 



2. Abutilon avicennie. Velvet-leaf. Eastern Kansas. Abounds in mucilage, 



which it readily imparts to water. Antipyretic, demulcent, sedative. 



3. Acalypha gracilens, A. virginica. Slender, three-seeded mercury. Eastern 



Kansas. Cathartic, sedative. 



4. Acer dasycarpum, white maple; A. rubrum, red maple. Eastern Kansas. 



Astringent, colorant — the bark. 



5. Acer saccharum. Sugar-maple. Extreme eastern Kansas. Nutritive. 



6. Acerates longifolia, A. viridiflora. Milkweed. All over Kansas. Anthel- 



mintic, diuretic. 



7. Achillea millefolium. Yarrow. All over Kansas. Aromatic, astringent, 



diuretic, tonic. 



8. Acorus calamus. Sweet flag. Northeast Kansas. Alterative, anthelmin- 



tic, cathartic, diuretic, emetic. 

 Actinomeris — See Verbesina. 



9. Adiantum pedatum. Maidenhair fern. Eastern Kansas. Expectorant, 



pectoral, refrigerant, tonic. 



10. Adlumia cirrhosa. Allegheny vine. Eastern Kansas. 



11. ^sculus glabra, M. parviflora. Buckeye. Eastern Kansas. Astringent, 



narcotic, tonic. Dangerous. 



12. Agrimonia hirsuta, A. mollis, A. parviflora. Agrimony. Eastern Kansas. 



Alterative, astringent, tonic. 



13. Ailanthus glandulosa. Tree of heaven. Introduced. Antipyretic. 



li. Alisma plantago. Water plantain. All over Kansas. Antilithic, antispas- 

 modic, narcotic, sedative. 



15. Allium canadensis, A. cepa, A. reticulatum, etc. Onion. All over Kan- 

 sas. Antherpetic, antiscorbutic, antiseptic, aperient, nutritive. 



IG. Amaranthus albus, white pigweed; A. spinosus, spiny pigweed. Eastern 

 Kansas. 



