FOREST ROOTS.
The facts set forth in the following pages are from American Root
Drugs, a valuable pamphlet issued in 1907 by U. S. Department of
Agriculture--Bureau of Plant Industry--and written by Alice Henkel.
Bethroot.
Trillium Erectum L.
Other Common Names: Trillium, red trillium, purple trillium,
ill-scented trillium, birthroot, birthwort, bathwort, bathflower, red
wake-robin, purple wake-robin, ill-scented wake-robin, red-benjamin,
bumblebee-root, daffydown-dilly, dishcloth, Indian balm, Indian
shamrock, nosebleed, squawflower, squawroot, wood-lily, true-love,
orange-blossom. Many of these names are applied also to other species
of Trillium.
Habitat and Range--Bethroot is a native plant growing in rich soil in
damp, shady woods from Canada south to Tennessee and Missouri.
Description of Plant--This plant is a perennial belonging to the
lily-of-the-valley family (Convallariaceae). It is a low growing
plant, from about 8 to 16 inches in height, with a rather stout stem,
having three leaves arranged in a whorl near the top. These leaves
are broadly ovate, almost circular in outline, sharp pointed at the
apex and narrowed at the base, 3 to 7 inches long and about as wide,
and practically stemless.
Not only the leaves of this plant, but the flowers and parts of the
flowers are arranged in threes, and this feature will serve to
identify the plant. The solitary terminal flower of Bethroot has
three sepals and three petals, both more or less lance shaped and
spreading, the former greenish, and the petals, which are 1 1/4
inches long and one-half inch wide, are sometimes dark purple, pink,
greenish, or white. The flower has an unpleasant odor. It appears
from April to June and is followed later in the season by an oval,
reddish berry.
[Illustration: Bethroot (Trillium Erectum).]
Various other species of Trillium are used in medicine, possessing
properties similar to those of the species under consideration. These
are also very similar in appearance to Trillium Erectum.
Description of Root--Bethroot, as found in the stores, is short and
thick, of a light-brown color externally, whitish or yellowish
inside, somewhat globular or oblong in shape, and covered all around
with numerous pale brown, shriveled rootlets. The top of the root
generally shows a succession of fine circles or rings, and usually
bears the remains of stem bases.
The root has a slight odor, and is at first sweetish and astringent,
followed by a bitter and acrid taste. When chewed it causes a flow of
saliva.
Collection, Prices and Uses--Bethroot is generally collected toward
the close of summer. The price ranges from 7 to 10 cents a pound.
It was much esteemed as a remedy among the Indians and early
settlers. Its present use is that of an astringent, tonic, and
alterative, and also that of an expectorant.
Culver's-Root.
Veronica Virginia L. (a)
Synonym--Leptandra Virginica (L) Nutt. (a)
Other Common Names--Culver's physic, blackroot, bowman's-root,
Beaumont-root, Brinton-root, tall speedwell, tall veronica,
physic-root, wholywort.
Habitat and Range--This common indigenous herb is found abundantly in
moist, rich woods, mountain valleys, meadows and thickets from
British Columbia south to Alabama, Missouri and Nebraska.
Description of Plant--Culver's-Root is a tall, slender stemmed
perennial belonging to the figwort family (Scrophulariaceae). It is
from 3 to 7 feet in height, with the leaves arranged around the
simple stems in whorls of three to nine. The leaves are borne on very
short stems, are lance shaped, long pointed at the apex, narrowed at
the base, and sharply toothed, 3 to 6 inches in length and 1 inch or
less in width. The white tube-shaped flowers, with two long
protruding stamens, are produced from June to September and are borne
in several terminal, densely crowded, slender, spikelike heads from 3
to 8 inches long.
(a) Some authors hold that this plant belongs to the genus Leptandra
and that its name should be Leptandra virginica (L.) Nutt. The
Pharmacopoeia is here followed.
[Illustration: Culver's Root (Veronica Virginica), Flowering Top
and Rootstock.]
The flowers, as stated, are usually white, tho the color may vary
from a pink to a bluish or purple and on account of its graceful
spikes of pretty flowers it is often cultivated in gardens as an
ornamental plant. The fruits are small, oblong, compressed,
many-seeded capsules.
Description of Rootstock--After they are dried the rootstocks have a
grayish brown appearance on the outside, and the inside is hard and
yellowish, either with a hollow center or a brownish or purplish
pith. When broken the fracture is tough and woody. The rootstock
measures from 4 to 6 inches in length, is rather thick and bent, with
branches resembling the main rootstock. The upper surface has a few
stem scars, and from the sides and underneath numerous coarse,
brittle roots are produced which have the appearance of having been
artificially inserted into the rootstock. Culver's-root has a bitter
and acrid taste, but no odor.
Collection, Price and Uses--The rootstock and roots should be
collected in the fall of the second year. When fresh these have a
faint odor resembling somewhat that of almonds, which is lost in the
drying. The bitter, acrid taste of Culver's-root also becomes less
the longer it is kept, and it is said that it should be kept at least
a year before being used. The price paid to collectors ranges from 6
to 10 cents a pound.
Culver's-root, which is official in the United States Pharmacopoeia,
is used as an alterative, cathartic and in disorders of the liver.
Stone-Root.
Collinsonia Canadensis L.
Other Common Names--Collinsonia, knob-root, knobgrass, knobweed,
knotroot, horse-balm, horseweed, richweed, richleaf, ox-balm,
citronella.
Habitat and Range--Stoneroot is found in moist, shady woods from
Maine to Wisconsin, south to Florida and Kansas.
Description of Plant--Like most of the other members of the mint
family (Menthaceae), Stoneroot is aromatic also, the fresh flowering
plant possessing a very pleasant, lemon-like odor. It is a tall
perennial herb, growing as high as 5 feet. The stem is stout, erect,
branched, smooth, or the upper part hairy.
[Illustration: Stoneroot (Collinsonia Canadensis).]
The leaves are opposite, about 3 to 8 inches long, thin, ovate,
pointed at the apex, narrowed or sometimes heart-shaped at the base,
and coarsely toothed; the lower leaves are largest and are borne on
slender stems, while the upper ones are smaller and almost stemless.
Stoneroot is in flower from July to October, producing large, loose,
open terminal panicles or heads of small, pale-yellow lemon-scented
flowers. The flowers have a funnel-shaped 2-lipped corolla, the lower
lip, larger, pendant and fringed, with two very much protruding
stamens.
Description of Root--Even the fresh root of this plant is very hard.
It is horizontal, large, thick, and woody, and the upper side is
rough and knotty and branched irregularly. The odor of the root is
rather disagreeable, and the taste pungent and spicy. In the fresh
state, as well as when dry, the root is extremely hard, whence the
common name "stoneroot." The dried root is grayish brown externally,
irregularly knotty on the upper surface from the remains of branches
and the scars left by former stems and the lower surface showing a
few thin roots. The inside of the root is hard and whitish.
Collection, Prices and Uses--Stoneroot, which is collected in autumn,
is employed for its tonic, astringent, diuretic and diaphoretic
effects. The price of the root ranges from 2 to 3 1/2 cents a pound.
The leaves are used by country people as an application to bruises.
Crawley-Root.
Corallorhiza Odontorhiza (Wild) Nutt.
Other Common Names--Corallorhiza, crawley, coralroot, small
coralroot, small-flowered coralroot, late coralroot, dragon's-claw,
chickentoe, turkey-claw, feverroot.
Habitat and Range--Rich, shady woods having an abundance of leaf mold
produce this curious little plant. It may be found in such situations
from Maine to Florida, westward to Michigan and Missouri.
Description of Plant--This peculiar native perennial, belonging to
the orchid family (Orchidaceae) is unlike most other plants, being
leafless, and instead of a green stem it has a purplish brown,
sheathed scape, somewhat swollen or bulbous at the base and bearing a
clustered head of purplish flowers 2 to 4 inches long. It does not
grow much taller than about a foot in height.
The flowers, 6 to 20 in a head, appear from July to September, and
consist of lance-shaped sepals and petals, striped with purple and a
broad, whitish, oval lip, generally marked with purple and narrowed
at the base. The seed capsule is large oblong, or some what globular.
[Illustration: Crawley-root (Corallorhiza Odontorhiza).]
Description of Rootstock--The rootstock of this plant is also
curious, resembling in its formation a piece of coral on account of
which it is known by the name of "coralroot." The other common names,
such as chickentoe, turkey-claw, etc., all have reference to the form
of the rootstock. As found in commerce, Crawley-root consists of
small, dark-brown wrinkled pieces, the larger ones branched like
coral. The taste at first is sweetish, becoming afterwards slightly
bitter. It has a peculiar odor when fresh, but when dry it is without
odor.
Collection, Prices and Uses--Crawley-root should be collected in July
or August The price ranges from 20 to 50 cents a pound. Other species
of Corallorhiza are sometimes collected and are said to probably
possess similar properties. This root is aid to be very effective for
promoting perspiration and it is also used as a sedative and in
fever.