Page 174 - Pharmacognosy 2 PG303

Pharmacognosy-2 (PG303) Level 2 Clinical Pharmacy-Pharm D

Roots: Numerous, usually broken off, matted together, or broken into
pieces, thin, wiry, shriveled, up to 35 cm. long and 1 mm. thick; fracture, short;
internally, yellowish. Hydrastis has a distinct, disagreeable odor and a bitter
taste. When chewed it colors the saliva yellow.

Microscopical Characters
Rhizomes: With cork, of several layers of thin-walled, yellowish-brown
lignified tabular polygonal cells, cortex, of thin walled parenchyma containing
starch granules and amorphous yellow masses, and frequently showing root
traces, vascular bundles, open, collateral, 10-20 mostly 14 in number, radially
elongated, separated by wide medullary rays, up to 30 cells wide, phloem,
usually collapsed and always destitute of fibers; xylem, showing yellow
lignified, pitted and few spiral vessels, pitted tracheids with yellow walls and
groups of lignified thin-walled yellow fibers towards the inner side, pith, wide,
formed of large parenchyma cells containing starch granules.

Roots: With epidermis, of a single layer of yellowish-brown elongated cells

having suberized outer walls, some developing into 1-celled root hairs, hypodermis,
of closely arranged suberized cells, cortex, of thick-walled parenchyma containing
starch granules, endodermis, of thin-walled slightly lignified cells, xylem, of 2-6
arches.

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