Botany and Zoology. 4A} 
the arrival of the first European, together with the circumstance that 
it grows to all appearance wild in various parts of the ¢ ountry, may be 
looked upon as almost conclusive of its being indigenous.”— 
Sarsaparilla.—Seemann appears clearly to have proved that Swede 
officinalis, H. H. K., S. papyracea, Duhamel, and S. medica, Schlecht.— 
all yielding officinal sarsaparilla,—are botanically one and the same 
Species. It grows on the slopes of mountains, to an elevation of 5000 
feet above the level of the sea, in South America, between the 20th de- 
gree of north, and the 6th degree of south latitude, and the 110th and 
40th degress of west longitude. The “ Jamaica sarsaparilla,” it ap- 
pears, is not the produce of that island, but is received there from the 
Spanish Main, and thence shipped to Europe and the United Siates. 
The * Lisbon or Brazilian sarsaparilla” is distinguished from the former 
by pharmacologists chiefly by having fewer rootlets or “ beards ;” but 
it is evident that the rootlets have been rem oved by some sis 20 me- 
w 
DS 
*  tepommaht value of the roots they dig up, we should soon get all 
our Jamaica ie are and in a few ome have difficulty 
s" in obtaining even a specimen of what is now termed Lisbon sarsapa- 
| rilla”” As to porns chief aidécion of the pharmacologists, into the 
mealy and non-mealy sorts; “ any body opening a bundle of Jamaica 
Sarsaparilla may pick out as many roots as he chooses, mealy at one 
end and non-mealy at the other.” As to the ele pe of the form 
of the cells of the ‘liber,’ which have been considered by physiologists 
as form od marks of distinction between the ¥reaparillas of Cen- 
tral America and those of South America, our author cites from a pa- 
’ per by Mr. Bentley, in the Pharmaceutical Journal for April, 1833, the 
results of recent microscopical examinations which invalidate these 
characters also 
ad rather few Graminec and Cyperacea@ of the Isthmus are elabora- 
ted by the venerable Nees yon Esenbeck, and this is announced as 
' probably the last ar labor of a career as an author which began 
‘ i forty years ago. ‘The Ferns, here numerous in species, are elab- 
characters discovered and turned to Finjserekt account by fine? in’ 
Sification, founded on the structure and mode of ri alot the 
semi seco fronds. In a note, Mr. Smith gives further information 
di out the Lomaria eriopus of Kunze, or Stangeria paradora, which 
E reel to be a true Cycadaceous plant, “ presenting a new feature in that 
order on account of its simply forked venation rising from a true midri 
rendering untenable the character which is: bord relied upon for 
disingvishing fossil wiih fossil Filices.” / : 
‘From t ‘ eee to the ‘Flore of Northwest- 
Beweilts mmeads to ye Acourtia — 
ie 
oF 
sod 4 pea ‘ ty Br ae as e 55 
NAS? WEBTES, Y ALA, s10, ah 1855. 
