462 BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



The stems of Chondrodendron tomentosum are also some- 

 times found in the drug ; these are more woody, possess a distinct 

 pith and are marked externally by the apothecia of lichens. 



The roots of several other plants of this family are used as 

 substitutes for pareira, among which may be mentioned Chondro- 

 dendron platyphyllum of Brazil and Paraguay, and Stephania 

 discolor of India. White Pareira is obtained from Abuta rufe- 

 scens, the roots of which are whitish or pale yellow and very 

 starchy. Yellow Pareira is obtained from A. amara. The root 

 is bright yellow internally, very bitter and apparently contains 

 alkaloids resembling beberine and berberine. 



STILLINGIA.— QUEEN'S ROOT.— The root of Stillingia 

 sylvatica (Fam. Euphorbiaceae), a perennial herb (Fig. 162) 

 indigenous to the Southern United States (p. 314). The root is 

 collected in August; it is deprived of its rootlets, cut into trans- 

 Verse pieces and carefully dried. 



Description. — Cylindrical, tapering, and slightly branched, 

 about 40 cm. long; usually cut into pieces 2 to 10 cm. long, 5 to 

 30 mm. in diameter ; externally dark brown, longitudinally wrin- 

 kled, rootlets or rootlet-scars few ; fracture of bark fibrous ; inter- 

 nally, bark light reddish-brown, 0.5 to 4 mm. thick, soft, spongy, 

 with numerous resin cells and easily separable from the porous, 

 radiate wood ; odor faint ; taste bitter, acrid and pungent. 



Constituents. — A volatile oil with the odor and taste of the 

 root from 3 to 4 per cent. ; an acrid resin sylvacrol ; an acrid fixed 

 oil; 10 to 12 per cent, of tannin; starch; calcium oxalate; ash 

 about 5 per cent. 



SUMBUL. — The dried rhizome and root of Ferula Sumbul 

 (Fam. Umbelliferae), a perennial herb indigenous to Turkestan 

 (P- 352)- The drug is exported by way of St. Petersburg, and is 

 commonly known as musk-root. 



Description. — In cylindrical, sometimes branched, transverse 

 segments, 3 to 10 cm. long and 1.5 to 7 cm. in diameter, very 

 light; externally light to dark brown, distinctly annulate, peri- 

 derm easily separable; the upper part of the rhizome with occa- 

 sional circular scars and leaf-remnants consisting of stout fibers; 

 fracture short, fibrous but irregular ; internally, light yellow, 

 resinous, spongy, porous, arrangement of wood irregular, due to 



