AMERICAN MEDICINAL PLANTS 



63 



The flowering stalk produces in May to June three flower clusters consisting of 

 from 12 to 30 small greenish flowers followed later in the season by round pur- 

 plish black berries. The rootstock is rather long, creeping, somewhat twisted, 

 and possesses a very fragrant, aromatic odor and a warm, aromatic taste. 



Other species. — The American spikenard (Aralia racemosa L.), known also as 

 spignet, spiceberry, Indian root, petty-morrel, life-of-man, and old-man's root, 

 is used for the same purpose as A. nudicaulis. It is distinguished from this by 

 its taller form, its much-branched stem from 3 to 6 feet high, and very large 

 leaves. The flowers are arranged in numerous clusters instead of only three, as 

 | in A. nudicaulis, and they appear several months later. The range of this species 

 extends as far south as Georgia. 



Part used. — The root, collected in autumn. In reasonablv constant demand. 



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Figure 119.— Wild-sarsaparilla (Aralia 

 nudicaulis) 



Figure 120.— Wild yam (Dioscorea villosa) 



WILD YAM 



Dioscorea villosa L. (Fig. 120.) 



Synonym. — Dioscorea paniculata Michx. 



Other common names. — Dioscorea, colicroot, rheumatism root, devil's-bones. 



Habitat and range. — Wild yam grows in moist thickets, trailing over adjacent 

 shrubs and bushes, its range extending from Rhode Island to Minnesota and 

 south to Florida and Texas. It is most common in the central and southern 

 portions of the United States. 



Description. — The wild yam is a vine growing to a length of 15 feet with a 

 smooth stem and heart-shaped leaves from 2 to 6 inches long and 1 to 4 inches 

 wide, hairy on the under side, borne on long, slender stems. The small, greenish- 

 yellow flowers are produced from June to July, the male flowers being borne 

 in drooping clusters about 3 to 6 inches long and the female flowers in drooping, 

 spikelike heads. The fruit, which is a yellowish-green 3-lobed capsule, ripens 

 in September and remains on the vine for some time during the winter. The 

 rootstock runs horizontally underneath the surface of the ground. It is only 

 about one-fourth to one-half inch in diameter. 



Part used. — The rootstock, generally collected in autumn. In reasonably 

 constant demand. 



WINTERGREEN 



Gaultheria procumbens L. (Fig. 121.) 



Other common names. — Gaultheria, spring wintergreen, creeping wintergreen, 

 aromatic wintergreen, spicy wintergreen, checkerberry, teaberry, partridgeberry, 

 grouseberry, spiceberry, chickenberry, deerberry, groundberry, hillberry, ivy- 

 berry, boxberry, redberry tea, Canadian tea, mountain tea, ivory plum, chinks, 

 drunkards, red pollom, rapper dandies, wax cluster. 



105166°— 30 5 



