TREES AND SHRUBS FURNISHING MEDICINAL, BARKS. 31 



Description of bark. — In commerce wild cherry bark is usually found in 

 curved or irregular pieces, the outer surface smooth and somewhat shining, 

 of a light green or brownish green color, and showing numerous transverse, 

 light-colored lines or grooves, or "lenticels," as they are technically known. 

 The inner surface is rust colored, marked with netlike grooves, or fissures. It 

 breaks with a short, granular fracture. The taste is aromatic, astringent, and 

 pleasantly bitter, reminding one somewhat of bitter almonds, as does the odor 

 when the bark is soaked in water. 



Collection, prices, and uses. — The bark, which is official in the United States 

 Pharmacopoeia, should be collected in autumn, as at that time it contains the 

 greatest amount of hydrocyanic acid. The outside layer is removed, so that 

 the green layer underneath shows, and the bark is then carefully dried and 

 preserved. Wild cherry bark should not be kept longer than a year, as it 

 deteriorates with age. The bark from very small or very old branches should 

 not be used. Young, thin bark is considered superior. 



The price to collectors at present ranges from 1 to G cents a pound, the 

 highest amount being paid for the " thin green.'" the next best price for the 

 "thick green," and the lowest for the " thick rossed." 



Wild cherry bark is used for its tonic properties, and it also exerts a sedative 

 action. 



PRICKLY ASH. 



(1) Xanthoxylum americanum Mill, and (2) Xanthoxylum clava-herculis L. 



Ph a rmacoporta 1 n a m e. — Xanthoxylum. 



Synonyms. — (1) Xanthoxylum fraxineum Willd.; (2) Xanthoxylum caro- 

 linianum Lam.: Fagara clava-herculis (L.) Small." 



Other com in mi names.— (1) Northern prickly, ash, toothache-tree, toothache- 

 bush, yellowwood, angelica-tree, pellitory-bark, suterberry : (2) southern prickly 

 ash, toothache-tree, Hercules-club, yellow Hercules, yellowthorn. yellowwood, 

 yellow prickly ash, prickly yellowwood, West Indian yellowwood, sea-ash, 

 pepperwood, wild orange. 



Habitat and range. — The northern prickly ash is common in woods, thickets, 

 and along river banks from Virginia, Missouri, and Nebraska northward to 

 Canada, while the southern prickly ash grows along streams from southern 

 Virginia to Florida, west to Texas and Arkansas. Both are indigenous to this 

 country, and are members of the rue family (Rutacese). 



Descriptions of trees. — The northern prickly ash ( Xanthoxylum americanum) 

 is smaller than the southern, usually 10 to 12 feet and rarely exceeding 25 

 feet in height, the branches having brown cone-shaped prickles. The leaflets 

 in this species number from 5 to 11, and are ovate, practically stemless. lh to 

 2 inches long, somewhat pointed at the apex, and with margins wavy toothed 

 or entire. When young the leaflets are somewhat hairy, but later they become 

 smooth or retain only a slight hairiness, and are dark green on the upper surface 

 and paler underneath. The greenish yellow flowers appear before the leaves, 

 about April or May, but instead of being borne in terminal clusters, like those 

 of the southern prickly ash, they are produced from the axils of the branches, 

 many crowded together in small stemless clusters. The seed capsules, contain- 



a The pharmacopoeia 1 usage. 

 139 



