TREES AXD SHRUBS FURNISHING MEDICINAL BARKS. 



49 



Description of shrub. — This shrub or small tree, from 10 to about 20 feet in 

 height, has rather stout, spreading branches. The winter buds are small, short 

 pointed, smooth, or sometimes with reddish hairs. Black haw has broadly oval 

 or roundish-oval leaves, blunt or somewhat pointed at the top, 1 to 3 inches 

 long, with a narrow or rounded base: they are nearly smooth, bright green, and 

 have a finely toothed margin. The numerous stemless flower clusters are from 

 2 to 4 inches broad, composed of numerous white flowers appearing from April 

 to June. The fruit, which is sweet and edible, is oval or somewhat roundish, 

 about half an inch long, bluish black, covered with a bloom, and ripens in 

 early autumn. It contains a somewhat flattened stone. (Fig. 45.) 



Description- of bark. — The bark of the stem was formerly official, but now the 

 dried bark of the root is the part prescribed by the United States Pharmaco- 

 poeia, Eighth Decennial Revision. It 

 is in irregular or quilled pieces, of a 

 dull brown color on the outer surface. 

 somewhat scaly and with shallow fur- 

 rows : the inner surface reddish brown. 

 and the whole breaking with a weak, 

 short, uneven fracture. There is a 

 faint peculiar odor, and a very bitter, 

 somewhat astringent taste. 



Collection, pries, and uses. — Black 

 haw bark is collected in autumn. The 

 present prices to collectors are from 3 

 to S cents a pound. 



This bark has nervine, antispas- 

 modic, tonic, and diuretic properties. 



Another specie*. — The sweet vibur- 

 num (Viburnum lentago L. ), known 

 also as nanny-berry and sheepberry, is 

 a species which is collected with pruni- 

 folium, and. with it. considered official. 

 It grows in rich soil from Canada 

 south to Georgia and Kansas. 



Sweet viburnum is an indigenous 

 shrub or small tree, sometimes as tall 

 as 30 feet, and somewhat resembling prunifolium. The winter buds, however, 

 are longer pointed and smooth, the leaves have longer slender stems and are oval, 

 long pointed at the apex, and generally rounded at the base. They are from 

 2 to 4 inches long, smooth on both surfaces, and sharply toothed. The siemless 

 flower clusters, 2 to 5 inches broad, appear about May. followed by the oval, 

 bluish black, bloom-covered fruit, which matures about October, becoming sweet 

 and edible. (Fig. 4.1.) The fruit sometimes remains on the shrub until the fol- 

 lowing spring. It contains a very flat, round or oval seed. Like the cramp- 

 bark tree, the black haw and sweet viburnum both belong to the honeysuckle 

 family (Caprifoliacese). 



The bark of the sweet viburnum is also collected in autumn, and is used like 

 prunifolium, 



139 



Fig. 4.j. — Black haw and nanny-berry i Vibur- 

 num prunifolium and V. lentago), leaves 

 and flowers. 



