388  False  Senega.  {"^^Augl'iSL™^ 
which  did  not  agree  with  my  observation  (Nat.  Dispensatory,  1st  edit.,, 
p.  1251;  2d  edit.,  1286).  E.  Siebert  ('^Amer.  Jour.  Phar./^  1880, 
p.  469)  suggested  that  this  false  senega  might  be  derived  from  one  of  the 
numerous  Central  American  species  of  Polygala. 
Recently  Dr.  J.  H.  Gunn,  of  Calera,  Ala.,  sent  to  the  editor  of 
New  Kemedies  "  a  plant  which  had  been  successfully  used  in  place 
of  senega,  and  this  plant  was  recognized  as  Polygala  Boykinii,  Nut- 
tall  ("New  Remedies,"  July,  1881,  p.  208).  No  allusion  having  beea 
made  to  the  character  of  its  root,  I  applied  to  Dr.  Gunn  for  a  speci- 
men of  the  plant,  with  root,  and  was  kindly  supplied  by  him.  The- 
root  closely  resembles  senega  root,  but  is  entirely  destitute  of  the  keel- 
like line  of  the  latter,  and  in  all  its  parts  has  a  woody  column  circular 
upon  transverse  section.  On  comparing  the  root  with  the  specimens 
of  false  senega  in  my  collection  they  proved  to  be  identical,  and  the 
microscopic  structure  agrees  with  that  previously  described  by  Thos. 
Greenish,  and  more  recently  by  Geo.  Goebel,  Jr.  (see  last  number,, 
p.  321). 
Dr.  Gunn  writes  that  the  plant  was  brought  to  his  attention  a  few 
years  ago  by  an  irregular  practitioner,  who  thought  it  was  Polygala. 
senega,  and  who  has  been  quite  successful  in  treating  chronic  bronchi- 
tis with  it  in  compound  infusion. 
The  plant  is  one  of  the  herbaceous  perennial  species  of  Polygala. 
Several  slender  stems  are  produced  from  the  same  root,  and  rise  to  the 
heiofht  of  12  or  18  inches  without  branching.  The  leaves  are  in 
whorls  of  about  live,  attain  a  length  of  about  an  inch,  and  vary 
between  lanceolate  and  obovate  in  sha])e,  the  upper  ones  being 
even  linear  and  sometimes  alternate.  The  flowers  are  in  terminal,, 
slender,  rather  dense  spikes,  and  are  of  a  whitish  color,  with  roundish,, 
partly  green  wings.  The  seeds  are  hairy  and  have  a  caruncle  of  about 
two-thirds  the  length  of  the  seed.  The  plant  flowers  from  May  or 
June  to  July  or  August,  and  grows  in  rich  calcareous  soil  in  Georgia 
and  Florida  and  westw^ard. 
It  would  be  of  interest  to  examine  the  roots  of  the  other  perennial 
species  of  Polygala  of  our  Southern  and  Southwestern  States,  to  ascer- 
tain whether,  in  appearance  and  properties,  they  likewise  resemble 
senega.  Although  the  root  of  Pol.  Boykinii  undoubtedly  possesses- 
remedial  properties,  it  is  milder  than  true  senega,  and  cannot  be 
regarded  as  an  equally  efficient  substitute  for  it. 
