CONDURANGO 551 



calcium oxalate and large groups of yellowish stone cells, resembling 

 those occurring in the outer bark; calcium oxalate in rosette aggre- 

 gates from 0.015 to 0.040 mm. in diameter; starch grains occurring 

 in the cells of the parenchyma and medullary rays, numerous, from 

 0.003 to 0.015 mm. in diameter, single and 2- to many-compound, 

 the individual grains spheroidal, plano-convex and irregularly 

 polyhedral, having a large central circular marking or transverse 

 fissure. 



Powder. Light brown, consisting of numerous starch grains, 

 either isolated or in parenchyma cells; large groups of orange-yellow 

 stone cells; a few wide tracheae, having either simple pores or scalari- 

 form perforations, and associated with short wood fibers, having thin 

 porous walls. 



Constituents. A yellowish glucoside, asclepiadir, having the 

 taste of the drug and apparently the active principle. It is soluble 

 in hot water and alcohol, colored green with sulphuric acid and pink 

 with nitric acid, changing to purple. Asclepias also contains a vola- 

 tile oil; several resins; tannic acid; starch; pectin; gum; a fixed 

 oil; and calcium oxalate. 



CONDURANGO. Cortex Condurango, Condurango Bark. The 

 bark of Marsdenia Condurango (Fam. Asclepiadacese), a somewhat 

 prostrate or climbing shrub, indigenous to the lofty mountains of 

 Ecuador and Peru. The bark is official in several of the European 

 Pharmacopoeias and is coming into prominence, as an aromatic 

 bitter, in the United States. 



Description. In single quills or transversely curved pieces, from 

 4 to 13.5 cm. in length, and from 1 to 6 mm. in thickness; outer 

 surface light grayish-brown to dark brown, nearly smooth and 

 with numerous lenticels, or having a more or less soft-scaly and 

 considerably roughened cork, occasionally with brownish-black 

 apothecia of a lichen; inner surface grayish-white or light brown, 

 longitudinally striate; fracture short and granular or short-fibrous; 

 odor slightly aromatic, especially marked in the fresh drug; taste 

 bitter and aromatic. 



Inner Structure. A periderm consisting of from 5 to 10 rows of 

 thin-walled cork cells frequently having yellowish-brown contents; 

 a layer of phelloderm of 8 to 10 rows of cells, containing either starch 

 grains or membrane crystals of calcium oxalate, the latter in prisms 

 from 0.010 to 0.035 mm. in length; a primary cortex of collenchyma 

 containing chloroplasts, starch grains, and rosette aggregates of cal- 

 cium oxalate from 0.015 to 0.040 mm. in diameter; a pericycle or 

 pericambium of tangentially elongated parenchyma cells, with groups 



