384 SUBTERRANEAN ORGANS 



ness, doubled up and bound loosely with one of the same roots. These 

 usually have a dark reddish brown colour, are much shrunken and 

 furrowed longitudinally, and bear tolerably numerous branching 

 rootlets. They are tough and flexible, not breaking easily even when 

 bent double. The transverse section exhibits a narrow, dark reddish 

 brown cortex surrounding a central stele, which consists of a ring of 

 yellowish wood with large, radially arranged vessels and a white, 

 starchy pith. 



The characters of the root are, however, somewhat variable, and 

 it is not difficult to find roots that are paler in colour, less shrunken 

 and more starchy than those described ; even the same root may vary 



FIG. 207. Bundles of Jamaica Sarsaparilla. Reduced. 



at different points. But the dark reddish brown colour, the shrunken 

 cortex, the presence of fibrous rootlets (technically known as ' beard ') 

 are regarded as important characters of good Jamaica sarsaparilla. 

 The bundles are always free from the rhizome (' chump '). 

 The drug has no odour, and only a slightly bitter taste. 

 The student should observe 



(a) The dark red shrunken cortex, which does not exhibit transverse 



cracks, 



(6) The numerous wiry rootlets, 

 (c) The transverse section ; 



and should compare the drug with Indian sarsaparilla (see p. 340) 

 which is marked with transverse cracks, is rigid and tortuous, and 

 has a distinctive aroma. 



Constituents. The chief constituent in Jamaica, Honduras and 

 probably other sarsaparillas is sarsasaponin, C 44 H 76 20 .7H 2 O, a crys- 



