Page 195 - Pharmacognosy 2 PG303

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

Coscinium fenestratum Colebrooke, family Menispermaceae. The stems
are occasionally imported from Ceylon under the name of Ceylon calumba, these
may be cut into slices about the size of calumba, but are readily distinguished by
their dark yellow color, flat surface, not depressed in the centre, and hard, woody
(not starchy) nature. They contain berberine (3 5 %).
Frasera caroliniensis Walter, family Gentianacease. Slices of the root of
this plant have been found substituted for calumba, but the occurrence is rare; the
slices are smaller, thicker, and free from starch, but contain tannin. This has been
termed American calumba.

RADIX BRYONIAE

Bryony Root
Bryony root is the fresh or dried root of Bryonia dioica Jacquin, family
Cucurbitaceac, a climbing and trailing plant, with rough, hairy leaves, common in
hedges and thickets in southern England.

Collection and Preparation
The plant produces in the spring aerial stems attaining a great length, and
arising from a large, tuberous rhizome which is continuous with a thick, fleshy
root. This subterranean part of the plant is often of considerable size and measuring
occasionally at the upper extremity 15 cm. or more in diameter, and reaching a
length of half a meter, the whole weighing several kilograms. It tapers more or less
gradually towards the tip and is usually simple. It is dug up in the autumn and is
used either in the fresh state or is cut into transverse slices and dried.

Macroscopical Characters
When fresh it is of a grayish-yellow color externally, and marked at close
intervals with prominent, transverse, corky ridges often extending half round the
root. Internally the root is whitish and fleshy, exuding, when cut, a juice that is
turbid from the presence of numerous starch grains. The transverse section exhibits
a fine line separating a narrow bark from a large, fleshy wood; the latter contains,
more or less uniformly distributed over it, small groups of vessels, radially
arranged and extending from the centre to the bark. The fresh root has an
unpleasant odor and a nauseously bitter and acrid taste.

The dried slices average about 5 cm. in diameter and have a thin yellowish-
grey cork, a whitish wood marked with concentric rings and radially arranged
vessels; they somewhat resemble calumba but may be distinguished by their
yellowish-grey cork, and whitish wood which shows both concentric and radiating
ridges.

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