44 



MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 





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The differences in structure between Spigelia and its substitutions as 

 seen under the microscope are usually very marked. This is especially 

 true of Ruellia, the only important adulterant found with Spigelia, 

 since the other plant parts sometimes present are usually recognized 

 by their gross characters. A comparison of figures 5 and 6 will show 



the most important differences in minute 

 structure. The numerous cystoliths present 

 in Ruellia as a very conspicuous feature are 

 wholly lacking in Spigelia and Phlox ovata. 

 The large sclereids of the root of Ruellia are 

 not found in the other two plants, and starch, 



which is present 

 in Spigelia, is 

 absent in both 

 Ruellia and Phlox. 

 In the powdered 

 form Ruellia al- 

 ways reveals its 

 presence by the 

 numerous stone 

 cells and cysto- 

 liths, which usual- 

 ly remain intact 

 even in finely pow- 

 dered material. 

 Powdered samples 

 of the under- 

 ground portions of 

 the Phlox at hand 

 gave no reaction 

 for starch. The 

 fineness of the 

 starch grain of 

 Spigelia and its 

 lack of striking, 

 characters render 

 uncertain its iden- 

 tification among 

 many other plant starches which might be readily introduced in the 

 powdered drug. The starch grains of Spigelia measure about 4 /<, 

 and in powdered pinkroot are associated with parenchyma cells and 

 long light-colored sclerenchyma fibers. The absence of starch from a 

 powder supposedly made of pinkroot suggests at once that the material 

 is not Spigelia. On the other hand, the presence of starch, while 

 indicative of Spigelia, is by no means conclusive proof of its presence. 



. 100— V 



Fig. 5. Cross section of the root of 

 Spigelia mar ilandiealj.: a, ep- 

 idermis; b, cortex; d, xylem; 

 e, cambium; i, pith; j, endo- 

 dermis; I, pericycle. x 180. 



Fig. 6. Cross section of the root 

 of Ruellia eiliosa Pursh : a, 

 epidermis; b, cortex; c, bast 

 fibers; d, xylem; j, endoder- 

 mis; I, pericycle; m, cystoliths; 

 n, collenchyma; o, sclereids. 

 X 150. 



