a fawn brown, or sometimes of a dark grey, approaching to black.
The color internally is nearly white. Besides this species there are
others indigenous, such as _S. officinalis_, which grows in the
province of Mina; _S. syphilitica_, which grows in the northern
regions, and three new species, _S. japicanga, S. Brasiliensis_, and
_S_. _syringioides_. There is also met with in Brazil another plant,
_Herreria sarsaparilla_, belonging to the same natural order, which
abounds in the provinces of Rio, Bahia, and Mina, and the roots of
which receive the name of wild sarsaparilla.

From Mexico, Honduras, and Angostura very good qualities are imported.
_S. zeylanica, glabra_, and _perfoliata_ furnish sarsaparilla from
Asia, and _S. excelsa_ and _aspera_ are used as substitutes for the
officinal drug in Europe.

_Smilax officinalis_, found in woods near the Rio Magdalena in New
Granada, furnishes the best in the market, which is commonly known as
Jamaica Sarza. It differs from the other kinds in having a deep red
cuticle of a close texture, and the color is more generally diffused
through the ligneous part. It is shipped in bales, formed either of
the spirally formed roots, as in the Jamaica and Lima varieties, or of
unfolded parallel roots, as in the Brazilian varieties. The roots are
usually several feet long, about the thickness of a quill, more or
less wrinkled, and the whole quantity retained for home consumption,
in 1840, was 143,000 lbs. In 1844, 184,748 lbs., and in 1845 111,775
lbs. were shipped from Honduras.

The prices in the London market, at the close of 1853, were --Brazil,
1s. 3d. per lb.; Honduras, 1s. 3d. to 1s. 8d. per lb.; Vera Cruz, 6d.
to 11d. per lb.; Jamaica, 1s. 8d. to 3s. 4d. per lb. The duty received
on sarsaparilla in 1842 was L1,536.

The average annual quantity of sarsaparilla obtained from Mexico and
South America, exclusive of Brazil, and taken for home consumption, in
the twelve years ending with 1843 was 37,826 lbs.

IMPORTS OF BRAZILIAN SARSAPARILLA.
lbs.
1827 28,155
1828 49,280
1829 52,772
1830 19,842
1831 31,972
1832 91,238
1833 13,077
1834 28,803
1835 22,387
1836 1,718
1837 12,842
1838 --
1839 9,484
1840 4,141
1841 1,399
1842 5,572

The total