Histology of medicinal plantsMansfield, William James
Science
Histology of medicinal plants
Mansfield, William James
Botany, Medical; Plant anatomy
In white oak, cascara sagrada and prickly ash are groups of stone
cells; in the cinnamon barks are bands of stone cells; in cinchona
bark are isolated stone cells. In cramp bark, mezerum, elm, and white
pine bark no stone cells occur.
In frangula, cascara sagrada, cocillina, cinnamon, cinchona,
sassafras, and wild cherry barks the bast fibres occur in groups.
In frangula, cascara sagrada, and cocillina the bast fibres are
surrounded by crystal cells with crystals.
In sassafras bark mucilage cells occur. In canella alba, white pine,
and sassafras barks secretion cells occur; but in most barks no
secretion cells occur.
In sassafras bark the medullary ray cells are nearly as broad as
long; in cramp bark they are elongated and oval in shape. In cascara
sagrada, as in most barks, the cells are longer than broad and
rectangular in shape.
In cascara sagrada the sieve cells are very large; in granatum bark
the sieve cells are very small.
In cassia cinnamon and in canella alba bark the walls of the sieve
cells have collapsed, with the result that the sieve cells have
become partly obliterated.
In witch-hazel, mountain maple, willow, and black walnut are found
prisms; in cramp bark, black haw, wahoo, pomegranate, and cotton root
bark are found rosette crystals; in the cinnamon barks are found
raphides; in cinchona bark, micro-crystals.
In cocillina, frangula, cascara sagrada, white oak, poplar and
Jamaica dogwood barks are found crystal-bearing fibres (Plates 19 and
20).
When studying barks we must consider the kind, structure, and amount
of the periderm; the nature of the phellogen; the nature and amount
of the cortical parenchyma; the occurrence, distribution, and amount
of stone cells, when present; the occurrence and structure of the
bast fibres; the presence or absence of secretion cells; the width,
distribution, and structure of the medullary rays.
CHAPTER V
WOODS
Quite a number of drugs consist of the =wood= of woody plants; such
drugs are quassia, red saunders, white sandalwood, and guaiac.
When studying woods it is necessary to observe the cross, tangential,
and radial sections. Such sections of quassia are shown in Plates
105, 106, and 107. When studying these sections it should be
remembered that while the types of cells forming quassia wood are
similar to the cells forming other woods, still their structure,
arrangement, and amount will vary in a recognizable way in the
different woods.
CROSS-SECTION QUASSIA
Plate 105 is a cross-section of quassia. It has the following
structure:
=Vessels.= The vessels occur singly or in groups of two to eight
cells. The cells are variable in size and shape. The walls are
yellowish white and porous.
=Medullary Rays.= The medullary rays vary from one to five cells in
width.
The =medullary ray cells= are radially elongated and the walls are
strongly porous.
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