112 HISTOLOGY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS 



central cavity is very large. A black intercellular substance 

 is usually adhering to portions of the outer wall. 



The color of the walls of the different stone cells is very 

 variable. In Ceylon cinnamon and ruellia the walls are color- 

 less; in zanthoxylium, light yellow; in rumex, deep yellow; 

 in cascara sagrada, greenish yellow. 



The pores of stone cells, like the pores of bast fibres, are 

 either simple or branched, and they may or may not extend 

 through the entire wall. Many of the shorter pores extend for 

 only a short distance from the cell cavity. 



The width of the cell cavity varies considerably in the stone 

 cells of the different plants. In aconite (Plate 32, Fig. 5), in 

 calumba (Plate 33, Fig. 2), and in Ceylon cinnamon (Plate 33, 

 Fig. i), the cell cavity is several times greater than the thick- 

 ness of the cell wall. 



In allspice (Plate 32, Fig. 4), in bitter root (Plate 32, Fig. 

 3), the diameter of the cell cavity and the thickness of the wall 

 are about equal. In cubeb (Plate 33, Fig. 4), in ruellia (Plate 

 32, Fig. i), the wall is thicker than the diameter of the cell 

 cavity. 



The cavity of many stone cells contains no characteristic 

 cell contents. In other stone cells the ceU contents are as 

 characteristic as the stone cell. The stone cells of both Saigon 

 and Ceylon cinnamon (Plate 33, Fig. i) contain starch; the 

 stone cells of calumba (Plate 33, Fig. 2) contain prisms of calcium 

 oxalate; the stone cells of allspice and sweet-birch bark contain 

 tannin. 



In cross-sections, stone cells occur singly, as in Saigon cinna- 

 mon (Plate 34, Fig. i), ruellia (Plate 34, Fig. 2); in groups, as 

 in cascara sagrada (Plate 34, Fig. 3) ; and in continuous bands, 

 as in Saigon cinnamon (Plate 34, Fig. 4). 



In powdered drugs, stone cells, like bast fibres, occur singly, 

 as in ruellia, calumba, etc.; or in groups, as in cascara sagrada, 

 witch-hazel bark, etc. In most powders they occur both singly 

 and in groups. 



The individual stone cells are mostly entire, as in ruellia, 

 calumba, allspice, echinacea, etc. In cascara sagrada many of 

 the stone cells are broken when the closely cemented groups 

 are torn apart in the milling process. Many of the branched 



