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Show HE:R.B AL. BRITISH; GE dipe the U.S RK Srav Es ACR Ey S NT AsPy dy S AGR om their footftalk, and in FFALHE leaves are thick, palmated, or divided into broad the upper one of which the whole of a roundedfigure. The flowers confift of -~ contained in capfules, three is obtufe in the fore part, and runs behind into a fpur : fucceeding every flower. a, and makes it a fpecies of lark{pur. Linnzus places this among the pohlyandria tr The flower indeeddiffers Tittle from: that of thelark{pur, but the leaves fufficiently. Stavefacre has been called by that diftinét name amongthe antients, and has peculiar virtues, not found in larkfpur: wherefore, in works intendedfor utility, the diftinction fhould o be proces and fupported, fo far as nature gives foundation. which are Strictty, that digitated larkfpur defcribed laft but one » might be called a kind of ffavefacre. The authors who have oa it, we fee know not well to what genusto refer it; and it beft belongs to n larkfpur by broad digitated leeaves ; but for the famereafon that I this, a genus ¢ have not called /fa a larkfpur, I have not namedthat lark{fpur a jravefacre; that is, becaufe ir has not th te as will fee in this inftance howfar the ftrictnefs of method is to be indulged in and whereit is to be madefree with. SERS; ea t There is no way befides to write at once fcien a nd uan Of this genus therefore, thus diftinguifhed, there is but one fpecies, which is not known in Bri tain, except in gardens. HERBAL. BR ae All the Latin writers from the earlieft timecall this plant frawinella; andif this modern improver was difpleafed with that name, he might have changed it without taking that of difamnus : it would certainly have been more juttifiable to have calledit tragium, that being she name by whichit is called in the earlieft Greek write the other however being univerfally received, is adch fitter for the. purpofe; the Italian and Spanith fraffinelii, and moft other of the European names, being formed upon that word. Ofthis genus there is but one known fpecies; and this is not feen in Britain, except in gardens. White Dittany. Fraxinella, The root ¢confifts of a great number ofthick, long, and tough fibres. The leaves rifing from it are very large, and beautifully pinnated : they confift each of about five pair of {maller, and a fingle oneat the end ; and ftand on fhort footftalks. They are of a pale green colour, broad, oblong, pointedat the ends, andfcarce atall ferrated at the edges ; and they refemble in fome degree the leaves of the afh-tree, in miniature. The ftalks rife amidft thefe leaves, which foon after fade and perifh. fticks to the fingers on touching them, and has a very fragrant {mell. This refin is fo inflammable, that if a lighted candle be brought near the ftalk of the plant, fo that the flame touch any of the refin, the whole takes fire in an inftant, and goes off with fa remarkable explofion. The plant will not be deftroyed by this, but will recover its refinous niat- ter again in a few days; and the experiment may be repeated with fuccefs. It is a native of Italy and France, but ftands very well in our gardens. Its univerfal name amongauthorsisfraxinella: it obtained this from there: emblance of its leaves to thofe of the afh. Theyare robuft, firm, branched, and two or They are large, hard, and rough. Stavefacre. Staphifagria.* The root is long, thick, woody, and furnifhed with many fibres. The leaves that rife from it are fupported on Jong, thick, pale; and fomewhat hairy footitalks: they are large, of a deep. unpleafant green, and divided downto the ftalk, into five, fix, or more broad indented fegments. The ftalk is round, thick, upright, two feet and a half high, and very muchbranched. Its leaves ftand irregularly, and in fhape refemble thofe from the root. The flowers ftand in long fpikes at the tops of the branches; and are large,.and of a dufky They much refemble the flowers of the (pur; but they arelarge “he feeds are contained in capfules, three of and fometimes four, follow every It is commonin the Levant, and in many of the warmer parts of Europe, and thrives very well in our gardens. Linnzus calls it Delphinium nefariis diphyllis foliis palmatis lobis i C. Bauhine, and others, from the days of Theophraftus, Stapbis- The druggifts keep the feeds of ftavefacre: they have been.given in {mall dofes as aph ze in dropfies, andother defpe are very rough. Some chew them in the pet in which cafe they bring a great deal of w into the mouth, and fometimes are of fe vice; but their greateft ufe is among the vulgar, for deftroying vermin in their Childrens heads ; for this purpole they have the feeds ‘coarfely powdered, andftrew them on ; andthis never fails, Us XIL [et Ty ANG Ys 45 three feet high. Their leaves ftandalternately ; and are altogether like thofe from the root, but fomething fmaller. The flowers are of a beautiful pale red, often white; and have each ten long threads, which addto their beauty. The feeds follow in five flatted pods. The tops of this plant havea redifh hairinefs, and there is a refinous matter about them which GEN The bark of the root contains the principal virtue of the plant; and our druggifts keep it: but they often fell it old and decayed, and no root lofes its virtue fooner. It is a cordial and fudorifick whenfrefh dried. The antients efteemed it a fovereign remedy againft poifons and venemous bites: it is in efteem in fome places as a diuretick and deobftruent, and againft worms. If we had it more frequently frefh, and poffeffed of its full virtues, we fhould value it highly. Us S XI. MONKS-HOOD. ACONITUM. FIAHEflower confifts o f five petals, and has no cup: the petals of the flower are of a fingular 4 formandfituation: one ftands uppermoft, two are placed fideways, and two below; the upper one is hooded ; the fide petals are broad, roundith, and ftandinclining to one another ; and the two lewer are longer, and droop downwards: within the flower there alfo ftand two glandules or nectaria on little pedicles, and with crookedtails. The feeds are in capfules, three tes every flower. Linnzus places this amongthe polyandria trigynia: the flower is fo extremely fingular, that it is wonderful it did not keep the genus diftinét, and the fpecies together inall aurhoks: We mutt be turprifed to fee lark{purs brought iinto‘it, the flower in this genus not having that great characteriftick of the larkfpur, or tail. £ ? the fpur fr el IN Bok Tot FIAHE flower confiftss of five petals, three of which turn upwards, and two or three fideways ; and i it fends five-leaved cup. Thefeeds are einerin capfules; five of y hich follow 7 wv fl re every flower, and athe W other erow eus places this among the decandria monogynia, and allows it to be a genus diftinét fromall e takes awayits ufual andantient name fraxinella, andcalls it diffamnus. ‘This is doubly t it introduces at the fame time confufion and error. Di@amnus is underftood amor ofed and apothecaries as the name of anotherplant, the leaves of which are ufed in medicine. Cy 1 which wefhall defcribe in its place: this theycall from theplaceof its growth, Diffamnus Cre and they knownothingelfe by that name. There were fome at one time who called the roots 1, dittamnus albus; but the leaves of the other dittany being alfo white, thi fufion 5; wherefore it was wholly difufed. This author, in the too viole nt fpirit of ref ught itin again; and withrefpect to the other plant called dittany, the diéfar pecies a origanum., 2 The root is long, thick, h divided into feveral parts, and furnifhed with numerous fibres. The leaves rifing from it are very large, ofa beautiful green, ‘and divided into numerous, narrow, long fegments. The ftalk is robuft, erect, andfive feet hich. The leaves ftandirregularly, and in form refemble f thofe from theroot ; but they are {maller They are placed onlong footftalks, andare divided to the ftalk, into fix or more long, narrow N25. fegments, which are again deeply notched at the edges, and often fubdivided into others. Thefe are of a deep, but pleafant green, andhave a line running along their centre. ‘The flowers are numerous, and of a beautiful blue : they ftand in long fpikes on the tops ofthe branclies, and are large, andof afinefull colour, Theyarefollowed by capfules, three after every flower ; in which are large roughfeeds, sa native of Germany, and many of the s of Europe; and flowersin July. it Aconitum ceruleum, five NaPELLUS. el, Na é nd moft others fimply Ne |