THE WONDERS OF VEGETATION. 207 



of its singular properties so highly esteemed by the 

 ancients. Secondly, the difficulty that this plant has 

 in multiplying itself would always make it rare. 

 The roots would be constantly pulled out before the 

 plants had come to maturity, and thus all chance of 

 propagation would be destroyed. 



The mandragora of the ancients being lost, noth- 

 ing was more likely than that another plant should be 

 substituted for it, which had similar properties. Our 

 mandragoras have roots which bear some resemblance 

 to the human body, from the waist downwards ; the 

 seeds are white, and have the appearance of small kid- 

 neys ; and all these features are equally characteristic 

 of the ginseng. 



It need hardly be added that the reverend father's 

 supposition has not been maintained by modern inves- 

 tigations. The ginseng of China, found abundantly 

 in the Middle States of the Union, and largely ex- 

 ported to the flowery kingdom, is an araliacious plant 

 belonging to the same class as our ivy. It is known 

 to botanists by the name of Panax Schinseng. The 

 plant found in Canada is an allied species (Pcmax 

 quinquefolium\ having a root like the ginseng of 

 China. It is exported to China and highly valued 

 there for its properties, which are however as fabulous 

 as those ascribed to the European mandrake. There 

 can be no doubt that the atropa mcmdragora is the 

 plant of the ancient Greek writers. 



