SARSAPARILLA 105 



Ges., 1907, p. 250) distinguishes the following different commercial 

 varieties of sarsaparilla. 1. Honduras, in which the cells of the endo- 

 dermis are mostly quadratic in shape, seldom tangentially elongated 

 and only slightly thickened. 2. Vera Cruz (a Mexican variety), the 

 cells being radially elongated and considerably thickened upon the 

 inner side. 3. Tampico (a variety of Mexican), in which the endoder- 

 mal cells show considerably variation and are frequently not to be 

 distinguished from the first two varieties. 3. Guatemala or Man- 

 zamillo, in which the cells of the endodermis are tangentially elongated 

 and are strongly thickened upon the inside. Nicaragua sarsapa- 

 rilla resembles the drug known as Honduras, but is distinguished 

 from this by the greater thickness of the endodermal cells. 



FIG. 42. Transverse section of Sarsaparilla in the region of the endodermal cells. 

 As pointed out by Hartwich, the inner walls are usually furnished with pores 

 The radial walls are always suberized and this fact may be determined 

 by the use of chromic acid. Sometimes some of the adjoining parenchyma 

 cells in the pith are thickened and resemble the endodermis (x). The 

 endodermal cells are not always thickened but may have comparatively 

 thin walls (P) ; forming " passage cells " for the exchange of material 

 between cortex and pith. The thickening of the cell walls of the endodermis 

 consists of a modified cellulose. It is not colored either blue or violet upon 

 the addition of chlorzinc-iodide, unless the sections have been first treated 

 with chromic acid. Lignification of the walls is most pronounced in young 

 roots and is not pronounced in old roots such as we find in the article of 

 commerce. The cell walls of the endodermis consist of lamella? of cellulose, 

 lignin, suberin, and other substances. After Hartwich. 



Starch occurs in the parenchyma of the cortex and central pith. 

 When heat is used in drying, the starch is altered, giving the root on 

 breaking the appearance of being resinous, and hence sarsaparillas 

 are sometimes distinguished as " mealy," containing unaltered 

 starch (Vera Cruz), and " resinous " when the starch is swollen and 

 agglutinated (Honduras). Calcium oxalate occurs in special muci- 

 lage cells in the form of raphides and is found in the cells of the cortex 



