1023 



Cfjc Crra^urj) of 230tang. 



[SASS 



disk, hearing the five minute stigmas un- 

 derneath at the edge— this peculiar con- 

 formation having given rise to the name 

 of Side-saddle-flower popularly given to 

 the plants. There are half a dozen species, 

 natives of the marshes of North America. 

 The pitcher-shaped petioles of their radi- 

 cal leaves have a small lamina at the top 

 which has been called a lid, although it 

 never closes over the pitcher. The pitcher 

 itself in the older leaves is usually full of 

 water. It has not yet heen ascertained 

 whether this water is derived from rain 

 or dew, or is secreted by the leaf itself ; but, 

 however derived, it serves to drown the 

 flies and other insects which these leaves 

 are admirably adapted to catch and retain. 

 At the mouth of the pitcher there is in 

 most species a saccharine exudation which 

 attracts them ; the surface immediately 

 below is smooth and polished, and still 

 lower it is beset with sharp re flexed hairs, 

 which allow the insects to descend but 

 effectually obstruct their return. The 

 flowers are large yellowish or purple, on 

 radical leafless scapes S. purpurea is fre- 

 quently imported, and some of the other 

 species are in cultivation. 



S AURA SIN. (Fr.) Fagopijrum esculen- 

 tum. - DE TARTARIE. Fagopyrum ta- 

 taricum. 



SARRETTE. (Fr.) Serratula. 



SARRIETTE. (Fr.) Satureia. 



SARRON. (Fr.) Clienopodium (or Bli- 

 turri) Bonus Henricus. 



SARSAPARILLA. The rhizome of se- 

 veral species of Smilax, chiefly imported 

 from South America and Mexico, and em- 

 ployed in medicine. — , AMERICAN. ;lr«- 

 lia nudicaulis. — , AUSTRALIAN. Har- 

 denbergia monophylla. — , BRAZILIAN. 

 Smilax papyracea (syphilitica, Mart.). — , 

 COUNTRY. Hemidesmus indicus. — , 

 FALSE. Aralia nudicaulis. — , GERMAN. 

 Carex arenaria, G. disticha, and C. hirta. 

 — , GUATEMALA. Smilax papyracea. — , 

 HONDURAS. Probably Smilax papyra- 

 cea. — , INDIAN. Hemidesmus indicus. 

 —, ITALIAN. Smilax aspera and S. ex- 

 celsa. — , JAMAICA. Smilax officinalis. 

 — , LIMA. Smilax officinalis. — , LISBON. 

 Smilax papyracea. — , NEW HOLLAND. 

 Smilax glycyphylla. — , NEW ZEALAND. 

 Iiipngonum parviflorum. — , PERUVIAN. 

 Smilax obliquata. — , RIO NEGRO. Smi- 

 lax papyracea.. — , VERA CRUZ. Smilax 

 viedica. — , WILD. Aralia nudicaulis. 



SARSHAPA. A Sanscrit name for 

 Mustard-seed. 



SARTORIA. A perennial herb from the 

 chain of the Isaurian Taurus in Asia 

 Minor, having the habit foliage and flow- 

 . ers of Onobrychis and Hedysarum, but dif- 

 fering from both of these genera in the 

 pod, which is oblong-linear, very flat thin 

 arid indehiscent, but not jointed, although 

 it usually contains two seeds. It has 

 therefore been established as a distinct 



genus of Leguminosce of the tribe Hedy- 

 sarece. 



SARTWELLIA. The only species of 

 this genus of Compositce of the tribe Fla- 

 verio?, called S. Flaverice, and peculiar to 

 Southern Texas, is a many-stemmed erect 

 smooth herb, about a foot high, having op- 

 posite linear-Aliform leaves, and corymbs 

 of numerous shortly-stalked small yellow 

 flower-heads terminating the twigs. The 

 plant differs from its allies in the presence 

 of a cup-shaped nearly entire pappus, 

 crowning the ten-ribbed achenes. There 

 are three to Ave strap-shaped pistil-beai-ing 

 ray-florets, and about a dozen tubular and 

 perfect florets of the disk, all surrounded 

 by an involucre of four or five ovate 

 scales. It is dedicated to H. P. Sartwell, 

 an American botanist. [A. A. B.] 



SASA. An Indian name for the oil of 

 Cucumber-seeds. 



SASSAFRAS. A genus of Lauracem, 

 consisting of trees, natives of North Ame- 

 rica and the East Indies. The leaves are 

 deciduous and veiny ; the flowers yellowish, 

 dioecious, and appearing before the leaves. 

 The perianth is six-parted ; fertile stamens 

 nine, in three rows, the anthers all opening 

 inwardly, four-celled, the three innermost 

 stamens with two glands at the base. In 

 the female flowers there are nine sterile 

 stamens, the innermost often confluent. 

 Fruit fleshy, placed on the thick fleshy top 

 of the flower-stalk. 



S. officinale, formerly called Laurus Sassa- 

 fras, is a native of North America, extend- 

 ing from Canada to Florida. The root, wood, 



Sassafras officinale. 



and hark have stimulant and sudoriflc pro- 

 perties, which depend partly on the pre- 

 sence of a volatile oil. Tn medicine various 

 preparations of Sassafras are used in rheu- 

 matic and skin affections, generally how- 

 ever in combinationwith other more potent 

 drugs. Sassafras-tea mixed with milk and. 

 sugar forms the drink known as Saloop,' 



