(J56 MEDICAL BOTANY. 



They are all herbaceous plants, or under-shrubs, sometimes climbing and 

 often having fleshy tubers. The stems are scarcely woody, and the leaves are 

 reticulated. This order, and the next, present some important differences 

 from the true Endogens in having reticulated leaves and somewhat Exogen- 

 ous rhizomes, and with a few other groups, have been erected by Lindley into 

 a separate class under the name of Dictyogens, but which requires more 

 study and investigation before it can be admitted. From the near affinity in 

 many respects, to the Liliacece,! have preferred placing those orders as a 

 sequence to that group, rather than to introduce them between the Exogens 

 and Endogens. 



The species are found in most parts of the world, but are most common in 

 the tropical and temperate parts of Asia and America. Several of them fur- 

 nish the Sarsaparilla of the shops, but much uncertainty prevails as to which 

 is the true officinal one. Dr. Hancock states that the Sarsaparilla of the Rio 

 Negro, which is imported from Angustura or Para, is the best, and certainly is 

 not the product of S. siphilitica, as it has not the axillary spines of that 

 species, but Pereira is of opinion that this assertion is not to be implicitly 

 adopted, until further observations confirm its validity, more especially as in 

 the same packages of the drug some stems are prickly and some devoid of 

 these appendages, and yet perfectly similar in all other respects. The follow- 

 ing species have been noticed. 



1. S. sarsaparilla, Linn. — Prickly ; leaves unarmed, ovate, lanceolate, cuspidate, sub- 

 5-nerved, somewhat glaucous beneath ; common peduncle longer than the petiole. 



Linn., Sp. PI. 1459 ; Barton, Fl. Phil. Prod. ii. 195 ; S. glauca, Michaux, 

 Fl. Am. Bor. ii. 237. 



This native species was at one time considered to afford the Sarsaparilla 

 of commerce, but there is not a shadow of evidence that such was the case. 

 It is probable, at the same time, that it has some of the qualities of the 

 officinal article. 



2. S. medica, Schlechtendal. — Stem angular, armed with straight prickles at the joints, 

 and a few hooked ones in the intervals. Leaves chartaceous, bright-green on either side, 

 smooth, cordate, auriculate, shortly acuminate, 5-nerved, with the veins on the lower 

 surface prominent; their form is variable. Peduncles varying in length, with umbels of 

 about 12 flowers on short pedicels. 



Schlechtendal, Linncea, vi. 47 ; Lindley, Fl. Med. 598. 



This is a native of Mexico, and there can be no doubt is the plant furnish- 

 ing the " Vera Cruz Sarsaparilla." Schiede found it on the eastern slope of 

 the Mexican Andes, and states that he was informed, that the roots were 

 gathered during every part of the year, dried in the sun, and then packed for 

 sale. (Lindley, Flor. Med. 593, from Linn<za, iv. 576.) 



3. S. siphilitica, Willdenow. — Stem round, smooth, with a few short, thick, straight 

 prickles at the joints. Leaves large, oblong-lanceolate, coriaceous, shining, acuminate, 

 3-nerved, terminated by a long point. 



Willdenow, Sp. PI. iv. 780 ; Kunth, Nov. Gen. i. 271 ; Lindley, Fl. 

 Med. 598. 



Found in the woods of tropical America, and is said by Pereira to yield 

 the " Brazilian Sarsaparilla." 



4. S. officinalis, Kunth. — Stem twining, angular, prickly or smooth ; the young shoots 

 destitute of armature. Leaves ovate-oblong, acute, cordate, reticulated, 5 — 7-nerved, 



