446 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



SARSAPARILLA. — The dried root of various species of 

 Smilax (Fam. Liliacese), perennial climbers indigenous from 

 Mexico to Brazil (p. 238). There are four principal commercial 

 varieties: (i) Honduras sarsaparilla yielded by Smilax ofRci- 



FlG. 191. Bundles of sarsaparilla, the two on the left being Honduras; the next 

 one, Mexican, and the large one. Para. 



imlis, growing in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, and 

 exported from Honduras and Belize; (2) Para sarsaparilla, 

 yielded by Smilax papyracea, growing in the upper Amazon 

 region, and exported from Para; (3) Mexican sarsaparilla. 

 yielded by Smilax medica (Fig. 131), growing in Mexico, and 



