298  Commercial  Root  of  Cypripedium.  {k*'£\™\im. 
tion  cf  the  rhizome  becomes  darker,  but  not  blue,  the  ligneous  centre 
behaving  like  that  of  the  rootlets. 
The  rhizome  of  C.  parviflorum,  of  which  I  received  a  larger  num- 
ber of  living  specimens,  grows  in  an  entirely  different  manner.  It  is 
bent  up  and  down  in  a  direction  differing  but  little  from  right  angles, 
the  sides  of  which  are  about  f  inch  in  length.  None  of  the  speci- 
mens received  had  more  than  four  such  bends  or  three  angles,  so  that 
the  length  of  the  rhizome,  actually  about  three  inches,  is  in  a  straight 
line  about  two  inches.  The  diameter  of  the  rhizome  is  about  \  inch, 
the  stem  scars  fully  the  same,  somewhat  alternating  in  their  position, 
and  about  three  in  number  on  each  bend.  Short,  thick  side  branches 
were  not  observed.  The  rootlets  are  likewise  attached  to  all  sides  of 
the  rhizome,  the  upper  surface  of  which  is  always  more  or  less  covered 
with  them,  a  natural  result  of  its  position  in  the  soil.  They  are  about 
4  to  6  inches  in  length,  of  about  the  same  diameter,  but  less  wavy 
than  those  of  C.  pubescens,  from  which  they  differ  likewise  in  their 
brighter  color,  which  is  a  decided  orange-brown  when  fresh,  and  re- 
mains brighter  after  drying.  In  the  relative  thickness  of  the  corti- 
cal and  ligneous  portion  of  the  rhizome  and  rootlets,  as  also  in  the 
amount  of  starch  contained  therein,  as  far  as  may  be  judged  from  the 
color  imparted  by  iodine,  the  two  species  closely  resemble  each  other. 
This  resemblance  is  also  found  in  the  peculiar  musty  odor,  and  the 
mucilaginous,  disagreeable,  scarcely  bitterish,  somewhat  acrid  taste.  ; 
The  roots  of  these  two  species  of  Cypripedium,  I  am  now  satisfied  are 
the  only  ones  which  I  have  observed  in  the  commercial  article,  in  which 
the  appearance,  particularly  of  the  rootlets,  will  vary  somewhat. 
When  pressed  in  packages,  owing  to  the  moist  condition,  the  rootlets 
will  be  apparently  much  thicker  than  after  curing  the  drug  without 
pressure,  and  the  shape  of  the  rhizome  is  apt  to  lose  its  characteristic 
form ;  the  color  of  the  rootlets  and  the  presence  or  absence  of  the 
thicker  lateral  rhizome  branches  may  then  aid  in  determining  the  ori- 
gin, while  there  will  scarcely  be  any  difficulty  in  this,  if  the  rhizomes 
have  been  dried  without  pressure. 
P.  S.  After  the  above  was  in  type,  I  received  from  Mr.  H.  Mac- 
lagan  several  splendid  specimens  of  C.  pubescens,  with  numerous  short 
side  branches,  and  with  rootlets  measuring  18  to  21  inches  in  length. 
My  thanks  are  likewise  due  to  M.  Alfred  Daggett  of  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  for  some  fine  specimens  of  C.  acaule. 
i 
