A bitter, fibrous-rooted, yellow-flowered perennial, which is sought annually in some localities by herb gatherers, on account of its reputed value as a remedy for colic, rheumatism and as a general tonic. The slender flower stalk grows from one and a half to three feet in height, from a spreading cluster of thin, lance-shaped, pale yellowish-green basal leaves. The numerous small, white or yellowish tubular flowers are faintly fragrant and form a dense, slender, wand-like spike. The six stamens are tipped with orange. Colic-root is found in dry, sandy fields and along roadsides from May to July and ranges from Maine, Ontario, and Minnesota, south to Florida and Tennessee.