ON THE SARSAPARILLA OP BRAZIL. 277 
the other. The fibres are separated from the heads. Those 
that exist sometimes are pretty large and knotted; the base 
of the stems that adhere to them are connected with one or 
two, from which the fibres go off equally. The stem itself, 
from the size of the little finger to that of the thumb, pre- 
sents a great number of short thorns, thick at base, com- 
pressed laterally, and arranged in longitudinal and parallel 
lines. 
A similar arrangement is observable in the heads of the 
sarsaparilla of Mexico. 
From the researches of MM. Martius and Grisebach, 
this root is that of the Smilax papyracea of Poiret, 
(Encyc. Meth. iv., p. 467.) This species was at first con- 
founded either with the Smilax officinalis of Kunth, or 
the Smilax syphilitica of Humboldt, which are different, 
and which grow in Brazil. Dr. Grisebach (in the great 
Brazilian Flora, published by MM. Martius and End- 
licker, article Smilaceas,) has given a complete description 
and an excellent figure of this species. It is an under- 
shrub, the stem of which is compressed and angulated in- 
feriorly, and armed with spines upon the angles. The 
leaves are elliptic, acuminate, marked with three longi- 
tudinal nerves. This species grows principally in the neigh- 
borhood of the river Amazon and upon the banks of its 
tributaries. It is known in Brazil by the names salsa, sal- 
saparilla, sarza'-zarza, &c. 
Beside this species, which really furnishes the sarsaparilla 
in European commerce under the name of Brazilian or 
Portuguese, Brazil possesses the Smilax officinalis, which 
grows in the province of Mines ; the S. syphilitica, grow- 
ing in the northern regions, and three other species — the 
S.japicanga, S. brasiliensis, and S. syringoides, the roots 
of which are used by the inhabitants of the provinces where 
they grow for the same purpose as those of the S. papyracea. 
Finally, the same family of Smilacese or Jlsparaginese, 
VOL. IX. NO. IV. 52 
