ROOTS AND RHIZOMES. 
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TRITICUM (Couch Grass). 
The rhizome of Agropyron repens (Fam. Graminese), 
a perennial grass indigenous to Europe and Asia, and 
naturalized in North America, except in the Arctic 
region. The rhizome is gathered in spring, deprived 
of the rootlets, cut into pieces and carefully dried. 
Description. — Horizontal, somewhat cylindrical or 4 
to 6-angled, usually cut into pieces 5 to 8 mm. long, 1 
to 2 mm. in diameter; externally light yellow, longi- 
tudinally furrowed, smooth, shiny, nodes with circu- 
lar leaf-scars and few root-scars; fracture tough, fibrous; 
internally, bark light brown, about 0'5 mm. thick, 
wood light yellow and porous, center hollow ; odor 
slight, taste sweetish, slightly acrid. 
Constituents. — Triticin, a carbohydrate resembling 
inulin, 8 per cent.; sugar about 3 per cent. The 
rhizome is free from starch and calcium oxalate, and 
the lactic acid found in the extract is apparently a 
fermentation product. 
VERATKUM VIRIDE (American White Hellebore). 
The rhizome and roots of Veratrum viride (Fum. Lili- 
aceae), a perennial herb indigenous to the Eastern and 
Central United States and found growing from Que- 
bec to British Columbia and Alaska. The rhizome 
is collected in autumn, cut longitudinally and dried. 
Veratrum album, w^hich is indigenous to Central and 
Southern Europe, produces a rhizome similar to the 
American species, and much of the drug used in 
this country is derived from this species and imported 
from Germany. 
Description. — Rhizome upright, obconical, usually 
cut longitudinally into halves or quarters, 2‘5 to 5 cm. 
long, T5 to 3 cm. in diameter ; externally dark brown, 
rough and wrinkled, somewhat annulate from scars of 
