SARSAPARILLA. 9I 



though a variety of other kinds are found in various 

 markets. 



Description. — The external conditions in brief are as 

 follows: Jamaica sarsaparilla is bearded, reddish in color, 

 ends cut, wound with the same root, and slightly wrinkled. 



Honduras is non-bearded, brownish, the ends rounded, 

 wound with same kind of root, and slightly wrinkled. 



Mexican is noji-bearded, in loose bundles, with the 

 rhizome attached, wound with string of foreign root, 

 deeply wrinkled, and the color varying from yellowish 

 to black (according to the amount of dirt left on the 

 rhizome). 



The Para variety occurs in very large bundles, wound 

 with various roots, and the ends cut. 



Sarsaparilla root comes into the market in a variety of 

 shapes and sizes. The root is in general long, cylindrical, 

 and thin ; being from i to 3 metres in length and 2 to 5 

 mm. in diameter, wrinkled, of various shades from reddish 

 to brown or black from adherent dirt, whitish within, 

 inodorous, and of a mucilaginous, slightly bitterish taste. 



Histology. — A cross-section of the root shows the follow- 

 ing structures from without inward : Under the low power 

 there can be seen an outer cortical portion, whitish in 

 color and surrounding an inner central portion of about 

 the same color. Cutting demonstrates the fact that the 

 outer cortical portion is soft, while the inner central or 

 vessel portion is hard and resisting. Sharp examination 

 will reveal a yellowish line between the two portions, 

 the endodermis sheath, and also the presence of a pith in 

 the centre of the structure. 



With compound microscope of high power the cortex 

 is seen to be made up of at least three distinct types of 

 cells — the epidermal, hypodermal, and cortical cells. The 

 epidermal cells are hair-like and brown. They are 

 frequently lacking. The hypodermal cells are thickened 

 and brownish, and arranged in various rows from 2 to 7, 



