106 
ON  THE  OSHA  ROOT  OF  NEW  MEXICO. 
ADDITIONAL  NOTE  KELATIYE  TO  THE  PLANT  YIELDING 
OSHA  ROOT  OF  NEW  MEXICO. 
By  E.  Durand. 
Prof.  Procter. 
My  Dear  Sir. — I  have  just  read  your  notice  on  the  Indian 
Osha  Boot,  published  in  the  last  May  number  of  the  American 
Journal  of  Pharmacy,  (page  202,  vol.  xxxix). 
Your  correspondent,  Mr.  Jacob  Krummeck,  of  Santa  ¥4,  New 
Mexico,*  was  very  unbotanical  in  his  attempt  to  describe  the 
leaf  of  the  Osha  plant,  when  he  wrote  that  it  had  a  small  oval 
leaf.  He  was  thus  mistaking  for  a  leaf  the  segment  or  lobe  of 
a  large  decompound  leaf. 
In  the  new  package  of  Osha  roots,  sent  to  you  last  summer, 
by  the  same  gentleman,  there  are  large  leaves  still  attached  to 
the  crown  of  the  roots,  and  those  leaves  are  not  less  than  one 
foot  long,  including  the  petiole  ;  they  are  3 — 5  pinnately  divided 
with  deeply  laciniated  segments,  rather  lanceolate  than  oval. 
When  I  suggested  that  an  umbelliferous  plant  with  small  oval 
leaves  must  belong  to  sections  Saniculece  or  Amminew,\  and 
might  possibly  be  referred  to  the  genus  Eryngium,  several 
species  of  which  possess  aromatic  roots,  I  was  misled  by  this  de- 
scription of  Mr.  K.,  which  gave  the  Osha  plant  a  small  oval  leaf. 
But  now,  that  I  have  seen  the  large  decompound  leaves,  my  view 
is  entirely  changed,  without,  however,  being  able,  as  yet,  to  de- 
termine the  plant  with  any  degree  of  certainty,  on  account  of 
the  absence  of  the  most  characteristic  parts  of  a  plant,  (the 
*  The  package  of  Osha,  sent  last  summer  by  Mr.  Krummeck,  was  col- 
lected without  any  flowers  or  fruit,  leaving  its  real  botanical  name  yet 
doubtful.  The  Editor  intends  pursuing  his  examination  of  the  root  and 
its  peculiar  volatile  oil.  and  hopes  that  Mr.  K.  will  make  an  effort  to 
send  him  the  flowers  and  fruit  of  the  Osha.  This  may  be  done  in  a 
letter,  by  post,  by  folding  the  plant  (including  the  stem  and  just  enough 
of  the  root  to  identify  it  with  that  heretofore  sent)  while  fresh,  then  dry- 
ing it  so  that  it  shall  not  mould,  with  a  few  lines  giving  the  color  of  the 
flowers  and  seeds  before  drying,  if  they  change.  W.  P.,  Jr. 
f  [By  a  misprint  in  our  May  (1867)  number,  vol.  xxxix.,  page  205, 
last  line,  these  words  are  made  Sarriculece  or  MuUnece,  instead  of  Sani- 
culece or  Ammineoe.  Our  subscribers  will  oblige  the  Editor  by  making 
this  correction  on  reading  this  note.] 
