446 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



SARSAPARILLA. The dried root of various species of 

 Smilax (Fam. Liliaceae), perennial climbers indigenous from 

 Mexico to Brazil (p. 238). There are four principal commercial 

 varieties: (i) Honduras sarsaparilla yielded by Smilax oMci- 



^^@-^^, 





Fig. 191. Different kinds of tracheae. A, transverse section of stem of grape-vine 

 (Vtiis vinifera) showing three tracheae from the older wood containing tyloses, w, wood 

 fibers; m. medullary rays. The tyloses or thyllen. are in the nature of ingrowths from the wood 

 fibers and protrude through the adjoining pores, at the end of the season's growth closing 

 the cavities of the tracheae. B, longitudinal section of belladonna root showing a large 

 trachea with bordered pores (t),a trachea with simple pores (s). wood fiber with oblique 

 pores (w) and parenchyma (p) containing starch. C, longitudinal .section of Phytolacca root 

 showing a trachea with bordered pores (t). trachea with reticulate thickening (r), wood fibers 

 (w) and parenchyma (p) containing starch. D, longitudinal section of scopola rhizome show- 

 ing reticulate tracheas and parenchyma containing stprch. 



nalis, growing in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, and 

 exported from Honduras and Belize; (2) Para sarsaparilla, 

 yielded by Smilax papyracca, growing in the upper Amazon 

 region, and exported from Para; (3) Mexican sarsaparilla. 

 yielded by Smilax mcdica (Fig. 131), growing in Mexico, and 



