NAT. ORDER. 



Ranunculacece. 



HYDKASTIS CANADENSIS. GOLDEN SEAL. 



Class XIII. POLYANDRIA. OrdjET VI. POLYGYNIA. 



Gen. Char. Calyx., of three ovate sepals. Petals, wanting-. Sta- 

 mens and Ovaries, numerous. Fruit, baccate, numerous, collect- 

 ed into a head, each terminated by the style, one-celled, one or 

 two-seeded. 



Spe. Char. Seeds, somewhat egg-shaped, smooth. Hoot, bitter, 



rather pungent and tonic, yielding a beautiful yellow dye, whence 



its name, yellow-root. 



This plant derived its name from hydor, water, in reference to 

 the humid places where it grows. 



This is a small peremiial herb, with tuberous roots. It is a native 

 of North America, growing in watery places along the Alleghany 

 mountains, from Canada to Carolina ; along the river Ohio, and on the 

 western parts of Virginia and Pennsylvania, in shady woods, in fertile 

 soil, and among rocks. Boot with fleshy tubercles, yellow on the in- 

 side ; stem herbaceous, simple, one-flowered ; lower leaves one or two, 

 stalked, upper ones almost sessile, all of which are three to five-parted, 

 with their lobes gi-ossly toothed ; Jlowers white or purplish, terminal, 

 stalked ; fruit fleshy, red, similar to that of Hubus ; carpels ovate, 

 acute, from eight to fourteen inches high. 



The root is the part used for medicinal piu-poses ; it is juicy when 

 fresh, and loses two-thirds of its weight by diying. The taste is ex- 

 ceedingly bitter, rather pungent, and nauseous. The smell is strong 

 and virose. It contains Amarine, extractive, several salts, and a pe- 



VoL. III. — 174. 



