RANUNCULACEAE. 51 
ZANTHORHIZA. Yellowroot. 
(Family Ranunculaceae). 
Small little-branched shrubs, 
lemon-yellow when cut. Wood 
tangentially diffused-porous: me- 
dullary rays coarse. Twigs terete, 
moderate, very smooth: pith re- 
latively large, rounded, continu- 
ous. Buds very unequal: the 
lateral solitary, sessile, ovoid- 
oblong, much compressed and 
flattened against the stem, with 
about 3 exposed blunt scales; the 
terminal much larger, fusiform, 
terete, with about 5 retuse mucro- 
nate scales. Leaf-scars alternate, 
low, shallowly U-shaped, more 
then half-encircling the twig: 
bundle-traces about 11:  stipule- 
sears lacking. 
The enlargement of the leaf- 
base so as to embrace a large part 
of the circumference of the stem, 
as in Aralia, Nandina, etc., and the yellow coloration of the 
cut tissues, form ready aids to the determination of yellow- 
root. Though low and lacking the graceful branching of many 
plants, its foliage is pleasing, and it merits more general 
planting than it receives. Its winter-characters are described 
and figured by Schneider, p. 119, f. 121. — 
Glabrous: twigs gray: buds red-brown. Z. apiifolia. 
