Root - Specimen details

Root - Specimen details

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Catalogue Number: 51692

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Plant Name 88.00 COMPOSITAE Saussurea lappa Entry Book Number
Artefact Name Root Vernacular Name
Iso Country Not defined TDWG Region Not defined
Parts Held Root Geography Description East Indies/Kashmir/Scinde Bazaars
Uses RootUse: MEDICINES - Respiratory System Disorders User: Not defined TDWG use MEDICINES - Respiratory System Disorders
Storage Bottles, boxes etc Related Items
Donor Hooker Sir JD Donor No
Donor Date Donor Notes East India Companyx0Dx0ADalzell NAx0Dx0A
Collector Collector No
Collection Notes Collection Date
Exhibition Expedition
Number Components Publication
Notes: Label source: Three donors ? East Indies, Sir JD Hooker Kashmir, East India Company Schinde Bazaars, NA Dalzell, Esq 50, ooplate, Kurt. Costus Label source: The credit of first suggesting the source of this drug is due to Guibourt; his conjectures were, afterwards confirmed by Falconer who when on a visit to Kashmir discovered that an Anaplotaxis growing there produced the commercial costus. The plant itself had been previously described by Jacquemont in 1831; Falconer's description may be found in theT, ransactions of the Linnean Society, 1845, Vol XIX p23. There is also a full account of the drug and plant, with woodcuts, in Guibourt's History of Drugs Vol 3, p.32 et seq. Large quantities of Ooplate are imported into Bombay from Kashmir by way of Amrits, ar. It is extensively used as a perfume, and to protect clothes from moths; also as an aphrodisiac and vermifuge. It occurs in crooked twisted pieces about 3 inches long and from 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches in diameter, almost always split. The central portion is, generally absent and appears to have been removed by decay before the root was collected. Externally it is brown and marked by longitudinal ridges, internally dirty white and resinous; taste bitter odour something like orris root. A microscopic examinatio, n shows that the root consists of two parts, viz : a thick cortical layer of close texture, prevaded by a few laticiferous vessels, and an inner radiating portion, the parenchyma of which is not so dense. This portion is also provided with laticiferous d, ucts, and a very abundant scalariform vascular system which appears loaded with resinous matter. No trace of starch is to be seen, nor does the iodine test idicate its presence. The central portion of the root is absent as already noticed. Dymock PharmSoc, .
Determinations:88.00 COMPOSITAE Saussurea lappa C.B.Clarke
    999.99 FAMILY UNKNOWN Aplotaxis costus Falc.

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