Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
November,  1895.  J 
Eriodictyon  Glutinosii m . 
565 
ERIODICTYON  GLUTINOSUM.  — 
By  F.  W.  RiTTER,  Ph.G. 
Contribution  from  the  Microscopical  Laboratory  of  the  Philadelphia  College 
of  Pharmacy. 
Eriodictyon,  or  Yerba  Santa,  as  it  is  more  commonly  known,  is  an 
indigenous  shrub,  which  grows  abundantly  upon  dry  hills  in  the 
western  and  southern  portions  of  California.  It  is  a  member  of  the 
water-leaf  family,  or  natural  order  Hydrophyllacese.  The  genus 
Eriodictyon  to  which  it  belongs,  is  a  very  small  one,  both  as  to  the 
number  of  species  and  the  area  of  distribution.  There  are  only  four 
species  known.  The  generic  name  Eriodictyon  is  derived  from  two 
Greek  words,  namely,  erion,  wool,  and  diktyon,  a  net ;  hence,  so 
called  from  the  finely  netted  or  reticulated  veinlets  which  are  con- 
spicuous on  a  fine  woolly  ground  upon  the  lower  surface.  The 
specific  name  glutinosum  has  reference  to  the  viscid  character  of  its 
upper  surface.  Eriodictyon  glutinosum  grows  to  the  height  of  from 
three  to  five  feet.  The  leaves  are  alternate,  and  from  three  to  six 
inches  in  length.  Their  general  outline  is  oblong  lanceolate,  the 
base  tapering  into  more  or  less  of  a  petiole.  The  apex  is  acute,  and 
the  margin  is  irregularly  serrate  and  beset  with  rigid  teeth.  Some- 
times the  margin  is  entire.  The  upper  surface  is  green,  smooth  and 
glutinous,  which  is  due  to  a  resinous  exudation ;  the  lower  surface 
is  whitened  between  the  reticulations  by  closely  matted  hairs.  The 
texture  is  leathery  and  rigid,  the  venation  pinnate  and  finely  reticu- 
late. The  principal  veins,  which  extend  from  the  midrib  toward  the 
margin,  are  mostly  alternate  from  each  side  of  the  midrib  and  near 
the  margin  anastomose,  forming  a  rather  distinct,  wavy,  sub-margi- 
nal vein.  From  this,  short  veins  are  continued  to  the  margin,  ter- 
minating at  the  apex  of  the  rigid  teeth.  The  margin  of  the  dried 
leaf  is  slightly  revolute,  especially  near  the  base. 
Eriodictyon  glutinosum  was  formerly  known  as  Eriodictyon  Cali- 
fornicum,  and  this  latter  name  is  still  preferred  by  some  botanists. 
The  corolla  is  tubular  funnel-form,  half  an  inch  long,  thrice  the 
length  of  the  sparsely  and  slightly  hairy  calyx. 
The  plant  is  popularly  known  under  various  synonyms,  among  which 
may  be  mentioned  consumptive's  weed,  mountain  balm,  saint  herb, 
bear's  weed  and  mountain  peach.  The  leaves  were  made  official  in 
the  U.  S.  P.  of  1890.  The  fluid  extract,  which  is  the  only  official 
preparation,  is  made  by  percolating  the  leaves,  reduced  to  a  No.  60 
