PLANTS FURNISHING MEDICINAL LEAVES AND HERBS. 185) 
YERBA SANTA. 
Eriodictyon californicum (H. and A.) Greene. 
Pharmacopeial name.—Eriodictyon. 
Synonym.—Eriodictyon glutinosum Benth. 
Other common names.—Mountain balm, consumptive’s weed,! bear’s-weed, gum 
plant, tarweed. 
| _ _Description.—This evergreen shrub, a member of the waterleaf family (Hydro- 
| phyllacee), reaches a 
| height of from 3 to 4 feet, 
| bearing glutinous leaves. 
The stem issmooth, butex- 
udes a gummy substance. 
The dark-green leaves are 
| from 3 to 4 inchesin length, 
placed alternately on the 
| stem, oblong or oval lance 
shaped, leathery, narrow- 
ing gradually into a short 
| stalk, and with margins 
generally toothed, except 
perhaps at the base: the 
| upper surface is smooth, 
| with depressed veins, the 
prominent veins on the 
under surface forming a 
strong network and the 
spaces between the veins 
covered with short felty 
hairs, giving it a white ap- 
pearance. The leaves are 
coated with a resinous sub- 
stance, making them ap- 
pear asif varnished. The 
rather showy whitish or 
pale-blue flowers are borne 
in clusters at the top of the 
plant, the tubular, funnel- 
shaped corolla measuring 
about half an inch in length 
and having five spreading 
| lobes. (Fig.7.) Theseed 
capsule is oval, grayish 
brown, and contains small, 
reddish-brown, shriveled 
seeds. 
Collection, prices, and uses.—The leaves are the parts collected for medicinal use and 
are official in the United States Pharmacopeweia. The price paid for them is about 5 
cents a pound. Yerba santa has expectorant properties and is employed for throat 
and bronchial affections. It is also used as a bitter tonic. The odor is aromatic and 
the taste balsamic and sweetish. 
Fic. 7.—Yerba santa (Friodictyon californicum), leaves and flowers. 
1A popular but misleading name. 
219 
