VIBURNUM PRUNIFOLIUM 409 



541. VIBURNUM PRUNIFOLIUM 

 BLACK HAW 



The dried bark of the root of Vibur'num prunif o'lium Linne" or of V. lentago Linne", 

 without admixture of more than 5 per cent, of wood or other foreign matter. 



BOTANICAL CHARACTERISTICS. A tall shrub or small tree. Leaves oval, obtuse, 

 or slightly pointed, finely serrate. Cymes compound, sessile. Fruit an oval, 

 black, sweet drupe. 



HABITAT. Middle and Southern United States, east of the Mississippi. 



DESCRIPTION OF DRUG. In irregular, transversely curved or quilled 



pieces from 1.5 to 6 cm. in length, and from 0.5 to 1.5 mm. in thickness; 



FIG. 236. Viburnum prunifolium Branch with flowers. 



outer surface, grayish-brown, or, where the outer cork has scaled 

 off, brownish-red, longitudinally wrinkled; inner surface reddish- 

 brown, longitudinally striated; fracture short but uneven, showing 

 in bark which is young or of medium thickness, a dark brown cork, 

 a brownish-red outer cortex, and a whitish inner cortex in which 

 are numerous light yellow groups of sclerenchymatous tissues; odor 

 slight; taste distinctly bitter and somewhat astringent. U.S.P. IX. 



Powder. Characteristic elements: See Part iv, Chap. I, B. 



CONSTITUENTS. A brown resin, a bitter principle (viburnin), valerianic 

 acid, tannic acid, oxalic, malic, and citric acids, sulphates, and 

 chlorides. 



