adjacent shrubs and bushes, its range extending from Rhode Island to
Minnesota, south to Florida and Texas. It is most common in the central
and southern portions of the United States.
_Description of plant._—This native perennial vine is similar to and
belongs to the same family as the well-known cinnamon vine of the
gardens—namely, the yam family (Dioscoreaceæ). It attains a length of
about 15 feet, the stem smooth, the leaves heart shaped and 2 to 6
inches long by 1 to 4 inches wide.
The leaves, which are borne on long, slender stems, are thin, green, and
smooth on the upper surface, paler and rather thickly hairy on the under
surface. The small greenish yellow flowers are produced from June to
July, the male flowers borne in drooping clusters about 3 to 6 inches
long, and the female flowers in drooping spikelike heads. The fruit,
which is in the form of a dry, membranous, 3-winged, yellowish green
capsule, ripens about September and remains on the vine for some time
during the winter. (Pl. II, fig. 3.)
Growing farther south than the species above mentioned is a variety for
which the name _glabra_ has been suggested.
According to C. G. Lloyd (King’s American Dispensatory, Vol. I, 1898),
there is a variety of _Dioscorea villosa_ the root of which first made
its appearance among the true yam roots of commerce, and which was so
different in form that it was rejected as an adulteration. The plant,
however, from which the false root was derived was found upon
investigation to be almost identical with the true yam, except that the
leaves were perfectly smooth, lacking the hairiness on the under surface
of the leaf which is characteristic of the true wild yam. The false
variety also differs in its habit of growth, not growing in dense clumps
like the true wild yam, but generally isolated. The root of the variety,
however, is quite distinct from that of the true wild yam, being much
more knotty. Lloyd states further that the hairiness or lack of
hairiness on the under side of the leaf is a certain indication as to
the form of the root.
Lloyd, recognizing the necessity of classifying these two yam roots of
commerce, has designated the smooth-leaved variety as _Dioscorea
villosa_ var. _glabra_.
_Description of rootstocks._—The rootstock of the true wild yam (Pl. II,
fig. 3) runs horizontally underneath the surface of the ground. As found
in commerce, it consists of very hard pieces, 6 inches and sometimes 2
feet in length, but only about one-fourth or one-half of an inch in
diameter, twisted, covered with a thin brown bark, whitish within, and
showing stem scars almost an inch apart on the upper surface, small
protuberances on the sides, and numerous rather wiry rootlets on the
lower surface.
The false wild yam, on the other hand, has a much heavier, rough, knotty
rootstock, with thick branches from 1 inch to 3 inches long, the upper
surface covered with crowded stem scars and the lower side furnished
with stout wiry rootlets. Within it is similar to the true yam root.
_Collection, prices, and uses._—The roots are generally collected in
autumn, and bring from 2½ to 4 cents a pound. Wild yam is said to
possess expectorant properties and to promote perspiration, and in large
doses proving emetic. It has been employed in bilious colic, and by the
negroes in the South in the treatment of muscular rheumatism.
BLUE FLAG.
_Iris versicolor_ L.
_Other common names._—Iris, flag-lily, liver-lily, snake-lily,
poison-flag, water-flag, American fleur-de-lis or flower-de-luce.
_Habitat and range._—Blue flag delights in wet, swampy localities,
making its home in marshes, thickets, and wet meadows from Newfoundland
to Manitoba, south to Florida and Arkansas.
_Description of plant._—The flowers of all of the species belonging to
this genus are similar, and are readily recognized by their rather
peculiar form, the three outer segments or parts reflexed or turned back
and the three inner segments standing erect.
Blue flag is about 2 to 3 feet in height, with an erect stem sometimes
branched near the top, and sword-shaped leaves which are shorter than
the stem, from one-half to 1 inch in width, showing a slight grayish
“bloom,” and sheathing at the base. This plant is a perennial belonging
to the iris family (Iridaceæ), and is a native of this country. June is
generally regarded as the month for the flowering of the blue flag,
although it may be said to be in flower from May to July, depending on
the locality. The flowers are large and very handsome, each stem bearing
from two to six or more. They consist of six segments or parts, the
three outer ones turned back and the three inner ones erect and much
smaller. (Pl. II, fig. 4.) The flowers are usually purplish blue, the
“claw,” or narrow base of the segments, variegated with yellow, green,
or white and marked with purple veins.
All of the species belonging to this genus are more or less variegated
in color; hence the name “iris,” meaning “rainbow,” and the specific
name “versicolor,” meaning “various colors.” The name “poison-flag” has
been applied to it on account of the poisonous effect it has produced in
children, who, owing to the close resemblance of the plants before
reaching the flowering stage, sometimes mistake it for sweet-flag.
The seed capsule is oblong, about 1½ inches long, and contains numerous
seeds.
_Description of rootstock._—Blue flag has a thick, fleshy, horizontal
rootstock, branched, and producing long fibrous roots. (Pl. II, fig. 4.)
It resembles sweet-flag (Calamus), and has been mistaken for it. The
sections of the rootstock of blue flag, however, are flattened above and
rounded below; the scars of the leaf sheaths are in the form of rings,
whereas in sweet-flag the rootstock is cylindrical and the scars left by
the leaf sheaths are obliquely transverse. Furthermore, there is a
difference in the arrangement of the roots on the rootstock, the scars
left by the roots in blue flag being close together generally nearer the
larger end, while in sweet-flag the disposition of the roots along the
rootstock is quite regular. Blue flag is grayish brown on the outside
when dried, and sweet-flag is light brown or fawn colored. Blue flag has
no well-marked odor, and the taste is acrid and nauseous, and in
sweet-flag there is a pleasant odor and bitter, pungent taste.
_Collection, prices, and uses._—Blue flag is collected in autumn, and
usually brings from about 7 to 10 cents a pound. Great scarcity of blue
flag root was reported from the producing districts in the autumn of
1906. It is an old remedy, the Indians esteeming it highly in stomach
troubles, and it is said that it was sometimes cultivated by them in
near-by ponds on account of its medicinal value. It has also been used
as a domestic remedy, and is regarded as an alterative, diuretic, and
purgative. It was official in the United States Pharmacopœia of 1890.
LADY’S-SLIPPER.
(1) _Cypripedium hirsutum_ Mill. and (2) _Cypripedium parviflorum_
Salisb.
_Synonym._—(1) _Cypripedium pubescens_ Willd.
_Pharmacopœial name._—Cypripedium.
_Other common names._—(1) Large yellow lady’s-slipper, yellow
lady’s-slipper, yellow moccasin-flower, Venus’-shoe, Venus’-cup, yellow
Indian-shoe, American valerian, nerve-root, male nervine, yellow
Noah’s-ark, yellows, monkey-flower, umbil-root, yellow umbil; (2) small
yellow lady’s-slipper.
_Habitat and range._—Both of these native species frequent bogs and wet
places in deep shady woods and thickets. The large yellow lady’s-slipper
may be found from Nova Scotia south to Alabama and west to Nebraska and
Missouri. The range for the small yellow lady’s-slipper extends from
Newfoundland south along the mountains to Georgia, and west to Missouri,
Washington, and British Columbia.
_Description of plants._—The orchid family (Orchidaceæ), to which the
lady’s-slippers belong, boasts of many beautiful, showy, and curious
species, and the lady’s-slipper is no exception. There are several other
plants to which the name lady’s-slipper has been applied, but one glance
at the peculiar structure of the flowers in the species under
consideration, as shown in the illustration (Pl. III, fig. 1), will
enable anyone to recognize them as soon as seen.
The particular species of lady’s-slipper under consideration in this
article do not differ very materially from each other. Both are
perennials, growing from 1 to about 2 feet in height, with rather large
leaves and with yellow flowers more or less marked with purple, the main
difference being that in _hirsutum_ the flower is larger and pale
yellow, while in _parviflorum_ the flower is small, bright yellow, and
perhaps more prominently striped and spotted with purple. The stem,
leaves, and inside of corolla or lip are somewhat hairy in the large
yellow lady’s-slipper, but not in the small yellow lady’s-slipper. These
hairs are said to be irritating to some people, in whom they cause an
eruption of the skin.
The leaves of the lady’s-slipper vary in size from 2 to 6 inches in
length and from 1 to 3 inches in width, and are broadly oval or
elliptic, sharp pointed, with numerous parallel veins, and sheathing at
the base, somewhat hairy in the large lady’s-slipper. The solitary
terminal flower, which appears from May to June, is very showy and
curiously formed, the lip being the most prominent part. This lip looks
like an inflated bag (1 to 2 inches long in the large lady’s-slipper),
pale yellow or bright yellow in color, variously striped and blotched
with purple. The other parts of the flower are greenish or yellowish,
with purple stripes, and the petals are usually twisted.
_Description of rootstock._—The rootstock is of horizontal growth,
crooked, fleshy, and with numerous wavy, fibrous roots. (Pl. III, fig.
1.) As found in commerce, the rootstocks are from 1 to 4 inches in
length, about an eighth of an inch in thickness, dark brown, the upper
surface showing numerous round cup-shaped scars, the remains of former
annual stems, and the lower surface thickly covered with wavy, wiry, and
brittle roots, the latter breaking off with a short, white fracture. The
odor is rather heavy and disagreeable, and the taste is described as
sweetish, bitter, and somewhat pungent.
_Collection, prices, and uses._—Both rootstock and roots are used, and
these should be collected in autumn, freed from dirt, and carefully
dried in the shade. These beautiful plants are becoming rare in many
localities. Sometimes such high-priced drugs as goldenseal and senega
are found mixed with the lady’s-slipper, but as these are more expensive
than the lady’s-slipper, it is not likely that they are included with
fraudulent intent, and they can be readily distinguished. The prices
paid to collectors of this root range from 32 to 35 cents a pound.
The principal use of lady’s-slipper, which is official in the United
States Pharmacopœia, is as an antispasmodic and nerve tonic, and it has
been used for the same purposes as valerian.
CRAWLEY-ROOT.
_Corallorhiza odontorhiza_ (Willd.) 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 (Orchidaceæ), 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. (Fig. 4.)
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 somewhat globular.
_Description of rootstock._—The rootstock of this plant is also curious,
resembling in its formation a piece of coral (fig. 4), on account of
which it is known by the name “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 said to be very effective for promoting
perspiration, and it is also used as a sedative and in fever.
[Illustration: FIG. 4.—Crawley-root (_Corallorhiza odontorhiza_). After
Torrey’s Flora of New York.]
CANADA SNAKEROOT.
_Asarum canadense_ L.
_Other common names._—Asarum, wild ginger, Indian ginger, Vermont
snakeroot, heart-snakeroot, southern snakeroot, black snakeroot,
colt’s-foot snakeroot, black snakeweed, broad-leaved asarabacca, false
colt’s-foot, cat’s-foot, colicroot.
_Habitat and range._—This inconspicuous little plant frequents rich
woods or rich soil along roadsides from Canada south to North Carolina
and Kansas.
_Description of plant._—Canada snakeroot is a small, apparently stemless
perennial, not more than 6 to 12 inches in height, and belongs to the
birthwort family (Aristolochiaceæ). It usually has but two leaves, which
are borne on slender, finely hairy stems; they are kidney shaped or
heart shaped, thin, dark green above and paler green on the lower
surface, strongly veined, and from 4 to 7 inches broad.
The solitary bell-shaped flower is of an unassuming dull brown or
brownish purple, and this modest color, together with its position on
the plant, renders it so inconspicuous as to escape the notice of the
casual observer. It droops from a short, slender stalk produced between
the two leaf stems and is almost hidden under the two leaves, growing so
close to the ground that it is sometimes buried beneath old leaves, and
sometimes the soil must be removed before the flower can be seen. It is
bell shaped, woolly, the inside darker in color than the outside and of
a satiny texture. The fruit which follows is in the form of a leathery
6-celled capsule. (Pl. III, fig. 2.)
_Description of rootstock._—Canada snakeroot has a creeping, yellowish
rootstock, slightly jointed, with thin rootlets produced from joints
which occur about every half inch or so. (Pl. III, fig. 2.) In the drug
trade the rootstock is usually found in pieces a few inches in length
and about one-eighth of an inch in diameter. These are four-angled,
crooked, brownish and wrinkled on the outside, whitish inside and
showing a large central pith, hard and brittle, and breaking with a
short fracture. The odor is fragrant and the taste spicy and aromatic,
and has been said to be intermediate between ginger and serpentaria.
_Collection, prices, and uses._—The aromatic root of Canada snakeroot is
collected in autumn, and the price ranges from 10 to 15 cents a pound.
It was reported as very scarce in the latter part of the summer of 1906.
Canada snakeroot, which was official in the United States Pharmacopœia
from 1820 to 1880, is used as an aromatic, diaphoretic, and carminative.
SERPENTARIA.
(1) _Aristolochia serpentaria_ L. and (2) _Aristolochia reticulata_
Nutt.
_Pharmacopœial name._—Serpentaria.
_Other common names._—(1) Virginia serpentaria, Virginia snakeroot,
serpentary, snakeweed, pelican-flower, snagrel, sangrel, sangree-root;
(2) Texas serpentaria, Texas snakeroot, Red River snakeroot.
_Habitat and range._—Virginia serpentaria is found in rich woods from
Connecticut to Michigan and southward, principally along the
Alleghenies, and Texas serpentaria occurs in the Southwestern States,
growing along river banks from Arkansas to Louisiana.
_Description of Virginia serpentaria._—About midsummer the queerly
shaped flowers of this native perennial are produced. They are very
similar to those of the better known “Dutchman’s-pipe,” another species
of this genus, which is quite extensively grown as an ornamental vine
for covering porches and trellises. Virginia serpentaria and Texas
serpentaria both belong to the birthwort family (Aristolochiaceæ). The
Virginia serpentaria is nearly erect, the slender, wavy stem sparingly
branched near the base, and usually growing to about a foot in height,
sometimes, however, even reaching 3 feet. The leaves are thin, ovate,
ovate lance shaped or oblong lance shaped, and usually heart shaped at
the base; they are about 2½ inches long and about 1 or 1½ inches in
width. The flowers are produced from near the base of the plant, similar
to its near relative, the Canada snakeroot. They are solitary and
terminal, borne on slender, scaly branches, dull brownish purple in
color, and of a somewhat leathery texture; the calyx tube is curiously
bent or contorted in the shape of the letter S. The fruit is a roundish
6-celled capsule, about half an inch in diameter, and containing
numerous seeds. (Pl. III, fig. 3.)
_Description of Texas serpentaria._—This species has a very wavy stem,
with oval, heart-shaped, clasping leaves, which are rather thick and
strongly reticulated or marked with a network of veins; hence the
specific name _reticulata_. The entire plant is hairy, with numerous
long, coarse hairs. The small, densely hairy purplish flowers are also
produced from the base of the plant.
_Description of rootstocks._—Serpentaria has a short rootstock with many
thin, branching, fibrous roots. (Pl. III, fig. 3.) In the dried state it
is thin and bent, the short remains of stems showing on the upper
surface and the under surface having numerous thin roots about 4 inches
in length, all of a dull yellowish brown color, internally white. It has
a very agreeable aromatic odor, somewhat like camphor, and the taste is
described as warm, bitterish, and camphoraceous.
The Texas serpentaria has a larger rootstock, with fewer roots less
interlaced than the Virginia serpentaria.
_Collection, prices, and uses._—The roots of serpentaria are collected
in autumn. Various other roots are sometimes mixed with serpentaria, but
as they are mostly high-priced drugs, such as goldenseal, pinkroot,
senega, and ginseng, their presence in a lot of serpentaria is probably
accidental, due simply to proximity of growth of these plants.
Abscess-root (_Polemonium reptans_ L.) is another root with which
serpentaria is often adulterated. It is very similar to serpentaria,
except that it is nearly white. The price of serpentaria ranges from 35
to 40 cents a pound.
Serpentaria is used for its stimulant, tonic, and diaphoretic
properties. Both species are official in the United States Pharmacopœia.
YELLOW DOCK.
_Rumex crispus_ L.
_Other common names._—Rumex, curled dock, narrow dock, sour dock. (Fig.
5.)
_Habitat and range._—This troublesome weed, introduced from Europe, is
now found throughout the United States, occurring in cultivated as well
as in waste ground, among rubbish heaps, and along roadsides.
[Illustration: FIG. 5.—Yellow dock (_Rumex crispus_), first year’s
growth.]
_Description of plant._—Yellow dock is a perennial plant belonging to
the buckwheat family (Polygonaceæ), and has a deep, spindle-shaped root,
from which arises an erect, angular, and furrowed stem, attaining a
height of from 2 to 4 feet. The stem is branched near the top and leafy,
bearing numerous long dense clusters formed by drooping groups of
inconspicuous green flowers placed in circles around the stem. The
flowers are produced from June to August, and the fruits which follow
are in the form of small triangular nuts, like the grain of buckwheat,
to which family the dock belongs. So long as the fruits are green and
immature they can scarcely be distinguished from the flowers, but as
they ripen the clusters take on a rusty-brown color. The leaves of the
yellow dock are lance shaped, acute, with the margins strongly waved and
crisped, the lower long-stalked leaves being blunt or heart shaped at
the base and from 6 to 8 inches in length, while those nearer the top
are narrower and shorter, only 3 to 6 inches in length, short stemmed or
stemless.
[Illustration: FIG. 6.—Broad-leaved dock (_Rumex obtusifolius_), leaf,
fruiting spike, and root.]
The broad-leaved dock (_Rumex obtusifolius_ L.) known also as bitter
dock, common dock, blunt-leaved dock, and butter-dock, is a very common
weed found in waste places from the New England States to Oregon and
south to Florida and Texas. It grows to about the same height as the
yellow dock, to which it bears a close resemblance, differing
principally in its more robust habit of growth. The stem is stouter than
in yellow dock, and the leaves, which likewise are wavy along the
margin, are much broader and longer. The green flowers appear from June
to August and are in rather long, open clusters, the groups rather loose
and far apart. (Fig. 6.)
_Description of roots._—Yellow dock root is large and fleshy, usually
from 8 to 12 inches long, tapering or spindle shaped, with few or no
rootlets. When dry it is usually twisted and prominently wrinkled, the
rather thick, dark, reddish brown bark marked with small scars. The
inside of the root is whitish at first, becoming yellowish. The fracture
is short, but shows some splintery fibers. The root, as it occurs in
commerce, is either entire or occasionally split lengthwise.
The darker colored root of the broad-leaved dock has a number of smaller
branches near the crown and more rootlets. (Fig. 6.) Dock roots have but
a very faint odor and a bitter, astringent taste.
_Collection, prices, and uses._—The roots should be collected in late
summer or autumn, after the fruiting tops have turned brown, then
washed, either left entire or split lengthwise into halves or quarters,
and carefully dried. Yellow dock root ranges from 4 to 6 cents a pound.
In the United States Pharmacopœia of 1890 “the roots of _Rumex crispus_
and of some other species of Rumex” were official, and both of the
above-named species are used, but the yellow dock (_Rumex crispus_) is
the species most commonly employed in medicine. The docks are largely
used for purifying the blood and in the treatment of skin diseases.
The young root leaves of both of the species mentioned are sometimes
used in spring as pot herbs.
POKEWEED.
_Phytolacca decandra_ L.[1]
_Synonym._—_Phytolacca americana_ L.[1]
_Pharmacopœial name._—Phytolacca.
_Other common names._—Poke, pigeon-berry, garget, scoke, pocan, coakum,
Virginian poke, inkberry, red inkberry, American nightshade,
cancer-jalap, redweed.
_Habitat and range._—Pokeweed, a common, familiar, native weed, is found
in rich, moist soil along fence rows, fields, and uncultivated land from
the New England States to Minnesota south to Florida and Texas.
_Description of plant._—In Europe, where pokeweed has become naturalized
from this country, it is regarded as an ornamental garden plant, and,
indeed, it is very showy and attractive with its reddish purple stems,
rich green foliage, and clusters of white flowers and dark-purple
berries.