Common Names
Pinkroot spigelia, American wormroot, Carolina pink, Carolina pinkroot, Indian pink, Maryland pinkroot, perennial wormgrass, pinkroot, snakeroot, star bloom, unstilla, wormgrass.

Description
A perennial that grows to 1 to 2 feet in height. Leaves are opposite, without a petiole, lanceolate to broadly oval. Flowers are funnel-like, red on the outside, yellow on the inside, arranged on one side of the single spike. The funnel forms five lobes at the open end.

Flowering Period
May to June.

Habitat
Rich woods.

Harvest
Rootstock after flowering in early fall.

Uses
The root is used as a vermifuge, anthelmintic, and cathartic. Some authorities say it is also a narcotic. In Appalachia, a tea made form the leaves is used to aid digestion.