CLASSIFICATION OF ANGIOSPERMS. 273 



'Caulophyllum thalictroides or blue cohosh of the Eastern 

 United States is a perennial herb with a thick rhizome and large 

 ternately compound leaves (Fig. 143). The flowers are small 

 and greenish-purple. The fruit is peculiar in that it resembles a 

 berry and consists only of blue, globular, naked seeds, the pericarp 

 being ruptured and falling away soon after fertilization. The 

 rhizome and roots were formerly official. It is a horizontal, much 

 branched rhizome with broad, concave stem-scars, and numerous 

 roots ; it is grayish-brown externally, sweetish, slightl\' bitter and 

 somewhat acrid. The drug contains an acrid, saponin-like gluco- 

 side, leontin ; a crystalline alkaloid, caulophylline ; two resins ; and 

 starch. 



Podophyllum peltatum or May apple is the source of the of- 

 ficial podophyllum (p. 506). This is an early, herbaceous, peren- 

 nial plant forming large patches by reason of its long dichoto- 

 mously branching rhizome (Fig. 222). It forms two kinds of 

 branches, one bearing a single,- peltate, 5- to 7-lobed leaf; and 

 another bearing in the axil of two similar leaves a white flower 

 which gives rise to a large, yellowish, ovoid berry which is edible. 



d. MENISPERMACE^ OR MOONSEED FAMILY.— 

 The plants are climbing or twining, herbaceous or woody vines 

 with simple, entire or lobed leaves and small, greenish-white dioe- 

 cious flowers. The fruit is a drupe and contains a characteristic 

 crescent-shaped seed. 



Menispermum canadense or Canada moonseed yields the drug 

 menispermum which was formerly official. It grows in the North- 

 ern United States and Canada and is a high-climbing vine with 

 broadly ovate, cordate and 3- to 7-lobed leaves (Fig. 65). The 

 flowers are in panicles giving rise to a characteristic cluster of 

 bluish-black berries. 



The rhizc»ne occurs in pieces which are 5 to 7 dm. long 

 and 2 to 5 mm. in diameter; externally it is longitudinally 

 wrinkled, of a yellowish-brown color and somewhat resembles 

 Sarsaparilla. In transverse section, however, it is very distinct 

 (Fig. 115). The drug has a bitter taste and contains a bitter 

 alkaloid menispine, berberine and starch. In addition it contains 

 the alkaloid oxyacanthirie which is also found in Berberis vulgaris 

 of Europe and the West Indies. 



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