504 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



nally, bark dark brown, 0.2 to 0.5 mm. thick, wood yellow, slightly 

 radiate, i to 1.5 mm. thick, pith i mm. in diameter; odor slightly 

 aromatic ; taste bitter, pungent. 



Roots 5 to 10 cm. long, about 0.3 mm. in diameter, with 

 numerous rootlets; externally dark brown, longitudinally wrin- 

 kled ; internally light brown, wood nearly cylindrical, porous. 



C0NSTITUENT.S. A crystalline, volatile alkaloid, spigeline, 

 which somewhat resembles coniine and nicotine and which forms 

 precipitates with iodine or Mayer's reagent that are soluble in 

 mineral acids; a bitter, acrid principle, volatile oil, resin, tannin 

 and starch. 



Adulterants. For some years past another rhizome has been 

 substituted for Spigelia, viz.: that of Ruellia ciliosa (p. 377). 

 The rhizome is oblique, with shorter internodes at the lower por- 

 tion and the basal part of the aerial shoots usually remains 

 attached. The roots are quite long, sparingly branched and 

 generally coarser than those of Spigelia. The inner structure of 

 Ruellia is quite distinct from Spigelia, showing numerous stone 

 cells and cystoliths in the cortex (Fig. 221). 



VALERIANA. VALERIAN. The rhizome and roots of 

 Valeriana officinalis (Fam. Valerianacese), a perennial herb (p. 

 385) indigenous to Europe and Asia, and cultivated in Holland, 

 Germany, England and the New England States, being more or 

 less naturalized in this country as far south as New York and 

 New Jersey. The rhizome is collected in autumn, cut into longi- 

 tudinal slices and dried by artificial heat. There are several com- 

 mercial varieties, and it is said that some of the drug is derived 

 from Valeriana sylvatica. 



Description. Rhizome upright, slightly ellipsoidal, more or 

 less truncate at both ends, from 2.5 to 4 cm. long and i to 2 cm. 

 in diameter, usually cut longitudinally into two, four or more 

 pieces; externally dark brown, upper portion with circular stem- 

 and leaf-scars, the sides sometimes with short branches or stolons 

 from 5 to 8 cm. long, wdth numerous roots and few root-scars ; 

 fracture short, horny ; internally light brown ; odor pronounced, 

 becoming stronger on keeping the drug ; taste somewhat aromatic. 



Roots 3 to 10 cm. long, 0.5 to i mm. in diameter, longitudinally 

 wrinkled ; fracture brittle. 



