3 2 4 
PHARMACEUTICAL BOTANY 
five, rarely four; petals five, rarely four, often greenish to greenish- 
yellow, occasionally white, seldom pink in color; stamens varying 
from indefinite to ten to commonly five, opposite sepals, and, like 
sepals, epigynous in insertion; anthers versatile; pistil occasionally 
fifteen- to ten-, usually five-carpellate; ovary as many celled with one 
or rarely two pendulous ovules in each cavity; styles distinct 
ending in knob-shaped stigmas. Fruit a berry. Seeds albuminous. 
Official drug 
Part used 
Botanical origin 
Habitat 
Aralia N.F. 
Unofficial 
Rhizome and 
roots 
Aralia racemosa 
Eastern United 
States and 
Canada 
Aralia Nudicaulis 
Rhizome 
Aralia nudicaulis 
Eastern United 
States and 
Canada 
Aralia Spinosa 
Bark 
Aralia spinosa 
Eastern United 
States 
Ginseng 
Root 
Panax quinquefolium 
North America 
Panax Repens 
Rhizome 
Panax repens 
Japan 
U mbelliferce 
or Parsley Pam 
ily. — Herbs, rarely shrubs, often 
rapid growth, and with upright fistular (hollow at internodes, 
solid at nodes) often grooved and ridged stems. Leaves alternate, 
compound and usually much divided, exstipulate, but with expanded 
sheathing and flattened leaf base (Pericladium), that ensheathes 
the stem. Inflorescence a simple or often compound umbel sur- 
rounded by an involucre of bracts or of bracteoles. Flowers small, 
pentamerous, with inferior ovary and superior floral parts. Sepals 
minute, tooth-like, inserted above inferior ovary, or absorbed. 
Petals small, usually yellow to white, rarely pink to purple, distinct, 
each with indexed tip. Stamens five, epigynous, inserted below a 
nectariferous, epigynous disc, incurved in bud. Carpels two fused 
into bicarpellate pistil. Ovary two-celled, with one pendulous 
ovule in each cell, ovarian wall traversed by oleoresin canals; 
styles two distinct above the nectar disc or stylopod. Fruit a dry, 
splitting fruit or cremocarp, that splits lengthwise into two mericarps 
which hang for a time by a forked carpophore. Seeds single in each 
mericarp, albuminous. 
