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B52

used as teas by the laiety.

With this introduction as a basis for selection, the plants of
importance are grouped into three major categories below. The cate-
gories are in general, of decreasing importance relative to therapeu-
tic effects of the plant and/or it's active principle(s). Plants
grouped in I and II have been selected on the basis of a good data
base, and should be reliable. Plants in group III, on the other hand,
have been selected on the basis of information made available to me
by a number of major botanical suppliers in the United States, regarding
their major sales volume items.

The list of plants provided below may well be considered as con-
servative, but within the constraints of difficulty available and/or
factual data, it should include the most important of our medicinal
plants.

I. MEDICINAL PLANTS OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE AS PRESCRIPTION DRUGS
OR AS YIELDING PRESCRIPTION DRUGS (In order of relative importance).

PLANT NAME
USEFUL CONSTITUENTS
Dioscorea floribunda
(and other diosgenin-yielding species) Diosgenin (steroids)
Papaver somniferum Codeine, morphine, noscapine
Atropa belladonna Atropine, hyoscyamine, scopolamine
Duboisia myoporoides Atropine, scopolamine
Rauvolfia serpentina Reserpine + whole root
Rauvolfia vomitoria Reserpine
Digitalis purpurea Digitoxin + whole leaf
Digitalis lanata Digoxin
Pilocarpus jaborandi Pilocarpine
Cephaelis ipecacuanha Emetine, cephaeline + whole root
Rhamnus purshiana Bark