TAXONOMY 
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Official drug Part used 
Serpentaria Rhizome and roots 
Asarum N.F. Rhizome and roots 
Botanical name 
Habitat 
Aristolochia 
Serpentaria 
Aristolochia 
reticulata 
Asarum canadensis 
United States 
United States 
Fig. i8i. —Serpentaria—Cross-section of rhizome. (25 diam.) A, parenchyma 
of cortex; B, medullary ray; C, xylem; D, phloem; E, medulla. (Sayre.) 
IX. Order Polygonales.— Polygonacece Family. —Usually herbs 
( Polygonum , Rumex, etc.) rarely trees ( Coccoloba uvifera and C. 
platyclada) or shrubs {Muhlenbeckia, Brunnichia ) having strong 
vertical tap roots and spreading secondary roots more or less pro¬ 
vided with tannin compounds. Stems elongate, green, to woody, 
rarely flattened, leathery, phylloidal (. Muhlenbeckia platyclada ) still 
more rarely tendriliform {Antigonum leptopus). Leaves alternate 
rarely opposite or whorled {Eriogonum) , entire, rarely lobed {Rheum 
palmatum, Rumex acetosella ), petiolate, rarely sessile, and stipu¬ 
late. Stipules fused and forming a greenish membranous upgrowth 
{ocrea) which sheaths the stem. Inflorescence racemose with 
many dense scorpioid or helicoid cymes, which in some forms con¬ 
dense into single flowers. Flowers regular, pentamerous, with 
simple calyx, becoming trimerous with two whorls of three sepals 
each. Stamens varying from fifteen or twelve to nine or six more 
rarely to five, four, three to one {Kcenigia), hypogynous, more 
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