62 



MISC. PUBLICATION 77, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Description. — This large, handsome evergreen tree is sometimes 200 feet in 

 height, with horizontal branches. The slender, pale-green leaves or needles are 

 borne five in a sheath and are from 2 to 5 inches long. The flowers are inconspicu- 

 ous, and the drooping, cylindrical, cigar-shaped, resinous cones are about 5 inches 

 long and about 1 inch in thickness until in fall when the scales spread out to 

 permit the seeds to fall out. It requires two seasons for the cones to mature. 



Part used. — The inner bark. In reasonablv constant demand. 



Figure 117.— White pine (Pinus strobus) 



Figure 118. — Wild geranium (Geranium 

 maculatum) 



WILD GERANIUM 



Geranium maculatum L. (Fig. 118.) 



Other common names. — Crane's-bill, spotted crane's-bill, wild crane's-bill, 

 stork's-bill, spotted geranium, alumroot, alum-bloom, chocolate-flower, crowfoot, 

 dove's-foot, old-maid's-nightcap, shameface. 



Habitat and range. — Wild geranium nourishes in low grounds and open woods 

 from Newfoundland to Manitoba and south to Georgia and Missouri. 



Description. — This plant, although generally only about a foot in height, 

 will sometimes reach a height of 2 feet. It is erect, usually unbranched, and 

 hairy. The leaves, which are 3 to 6 inches wide, are deeply parted into three or 

 five divisions, each of which is again cleft and toothed. The rose-purple, pale or 

 violet-purple flowers, which appear from April to June, are borne in loose clusters 

 and are from 1 to l}{ inches wide. The fruit capsule, which springs open when 

 ripe, consists of five cells each containing one seed. The rootstock is 2 to 4 inches 

 long, thick, with numerous branches and with scars showing the remains of stems 

 of previous years. When dry it has a somewhat purplish color internally. 



Part used'. — The root, collected just before the flowering period. In limited 

 demand only. 



WILD-SARSAPARILLA 



Aralia nudicaulis L. (Fig. 119.) 



Other common names. — False sarsaparilla, Virginian sarsaparilla, American 

 sarsaparilla, small spikenard, rabbitroot, shotbush, wild licorice. 



Habitat and range. — Wild-sarsaparilla grows in rich, moist woods from New- 

 foundland west to Manitoba and south to North Carolina and Missouri. 



Description. — This plant produces a single, long-stalked leaf and flowering 

 stalk from a very short stem. The leafstalk is about 12 inches long and is divided 

 at the top into three parts each bearing about five leaflets from 2 to 5 inches long. 



