Page 230 - Pharmacognosy 2 PG303

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

knotty, tortuous crown of root-stock, up to 4 cm wide, bearing numerous purplish
short stem bases and buds, and of a long tapering root. Root, slender, more or less
of conical, frequently curved and contorted, somewhat twisted, sparingly branched;
3-20 cm mostly 8-9 cm long, 2-10 mm thick; grayish yellow or brownish grey.
Externally, it is transversely wrinkled, sometimes annulated especially on the convex
side in the upper part. It is also longitudinally wrinkled, frequently showing a
longitudinal ridge, the keel, running spirally and prominent on the concave side.
Fracture, is short, smooth in he bark, splintery in the wood. Internally, it consists of
a narrow, light yellow, horny, somewhat translucent bark, frequently strongly
developed on one side and protruding to form the keel, and of a hard whitish, uniform
normal wood, or irregularly developed anomalous wood. It appears, in a T.S., oval,
semi-circular, or variously wedged with one or more broad parenchyma rays
commonly reaching to the center. Scale leaves, are purplish, ovoid, 2-3 mm long,
with blunt apex and ciliate margin.

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