Asarmn  Canadense,  L. 
j  Am.  Jour.  Pbarm. 
I      March,  1898. 
Pharm.  (December,  1894,  p.  574)  a  careful  description  and  drawing 
of  the  Asarum  Canadense,  L.  {Fig.  j),  that  he  studied,  together 
with  the  inner  morphology  of  the  rhizome  and  roots.  The  drawing 
is  reproduced  at  this  time  on  account  of  the  interest  attached  to 
Mr.  Bicknell's  studies.  In  his  description  of  A.  Canadense,  L.,  Pro- 
fessor Bastin  says,  among  other  things,  that  the  leaves  are  "broadly 
reniform,  entire- margined  and  slightly  but  distinctly  pointed  at  the 
apex.  They  attain  a  transverse  diameter  of  from  10  to  12  cm.,  are 
deep-green  and  silky-lustrous  by  reason  of  a  minute  pubescence  on 
the  upper  surface,  and  are  lighter  colored  and  prominently  veiny 
below." 
"  From  between  the  two  leaf-bases  issues  a  single  pedunculate, 
nodding,  dull-purple  flower,  which,  together  with  the  peduncle,  is 
densely  covered  on  the  outside  with  a  woolly  pubescence.  The 
calyx  is  rather  fleshy,  with  its  tube  adnate  to  the  ovary,  and  a 
three-parted  limb,  the  segments  of  which,  in  the  bud,  have  their 
tips  inflexed,  but  which,  when  the  flower  is  in  full  bloom,  are  wholly 
recurved.  The  corolla  in  this,  as  in  all  other  species  of  the 
Aristolochiacese,  is  wanting." 
We  naturally  expect  that  a  plant  with  such  aromatic  properties 
would  be  described  in  almost  all  of  the  medical  botanies.  We  find 
in  Barton's  Botany  (p.  87)  a  colored  illustration  of  what  he  calls 
A.  Canadense.  He  says:  "The  calyx  is  very  woolly,  and  is  divided 
into  three  broad,  concave,  acuminate  segments,  with  the  point 
reflexed.  They  are  of  a  deep-brown  purple  color  on  the  inside,  and 
of  a  dull-purple,  inclining  to  blue-green,  externally." 
Bigelow,  in  his  Medical  Botany  (Vol.  I,  p.  151),  says  :  "  Calyx — 
very  hairy  or  woolly,  consists  of  three  broad  concave  leaflets,  which 
are  mostly  of  a  brownish  or  dull-purple  on  the  inside  at  top  and 
bottom,  and  terminated  by  a  long,  spreading,  inflected  point,  with 
reflexed  sides.  The  color  varies  greatly,  according  to  the  amount 
of  light  which  the  plant  enjoys." 
Eaton  (Botany  of  North  America,  p.  173)  describes  Asarum 
Canadense  to  have  "the  calyx  woolly,  deeply  three-parted;  divi- 
sions sublanceolate,  reflected." 
Wood  (Class  Book  of  Botany,  p.  601)  says  under  Asarum  Cana- 
dense, L  ,  "calyx  woolly,  deeply  3-cleft,  the  segm.  reflected."  *  *  * 
"Color  purplish,  of  3  broad,  long-pointed  divisions  abruptly 
spreading." 
