154 ORD. VII. Sarmentacee.. -anisTOLOCnIA SERPENTARIA. 
tubular, irregular; at “die base distended into a globular figure, 
at the middle contracted and twisted,. at the extremity spreading, 
and of a triangular form: it has no “Maments, but six antherzx, 
which are attached to the under side of the stigma: the germen 
is oblong, angular, and placed below the soa diay the style is 
extremely ghurts the stigma is roundish, and divided into six 
parts: the capsule is Ber oonal, separated into six cells, which 
contain several small flat seeds. It is a =e of Virginia, and 
flowers in August. 
» The first account we have of Serpentaria is that given in Johnson's 
edition of Gerard, in which we are told that it was brought from 
Virginia, and grew in the garden of Mr. John Tradescant, of 
South Lambeth, in 1632. But Johnson evidently confounds the . 
Sérpentaria with the Pistolochia cretica of Clusius. In 1635, Dr. J. 
- Cornutus published at Paris, Canadensium plantarum, aliarumque 
nondum editarum, Historia, wherein the Serpentaria is-noticed 
under the name of Radix’ Snagroel Nothe Angliz, and highly 
extolled as an effectual remedy for the bites of the most poisonous 
serpents.* 
_ Plukenet, whose botanical knowledge of this plant will not be 
doubted, informed Dale, that the roots of three different species of 
Aristolochia were sent to Europe for those of snake-root;* but 
though this might have happened a century ago, at present the | 
* © Missa quoque est ad me ex notha Anglia radix quam Serpentarie vocant, 
yernacule Snagroel cum hac inscriptione. Hec radix alexiterium presentissimum 
est, contra morsum serpentis ingentis pernitiosissimique in notha Anglia, cujus 
‘morsus inira duodecim horas interficit, nisi hujus radicis sumatur Eien. qua 
eam pis nullus unquam auditus est periclitari de vita.” p. 214. 
* ‘Tres radices sub hoc nomine in officinis nostris yeniunt, ut nos monnit 
eruditissimus ile Botanicus Leonard Plukenetius, M. D. in literis ad me datis, viz. 
1. Aristolochia polyrrhizos, auriculatis foliis Virginiana. Pluk. Phytog. Tab. 78. 
alimag. 50. Tourn. Inst. 162. &c. 2+ Aristolochia Viole fruticosa foliis Vir- 
Siniana, cujns radix Serpentaria dicitur. Pluk. Phytog. T. 15. Almag. 50. &c» 
3. Aristolochia Pistolochia, sen Serpentaria Virginiana, caule nodoso.” This last 
is the plant we have figured. See Dale, Pharmacol. p. 194. 
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