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Show 196 The BRITISH HERBAL. Th BRITISH HERBAL. on e clafs, and others into another. This, nature abhors, and fomeof the fpecies are to be put into indeed. rifed more thoroughly by their Unhappily for this aut hor’s fyftem, the cranefbills are characte th they are therefore incapable of being thus ee plants of genus other any fingular fruit than re pect! feemed to renderit neceffary, has the flight this in ce differen heir thought feparated ; nor, in his fyftem. author ventured to do it: he leaves ita blemih this, That fftem which separates like genera, and Indeed, the determination of reafon is plainly upon places in diftinclaffes the plants evidently of the fame genus, is falfe. This cenfure falls direétly anddiadelphia, are proved the methodofthis celebrated author 3 arid thefe two claffes; the monadelphia as others by thofe before-named, to have no real foundation in nature. bythis inftance, DV 1st 0.N. A, BRITISH 1. Herb Robert, AH4 Geraniumpedunculis bifloris calycibus birfut Theroot is fmall, long, divided, and hung with many fibres. The leaves that rife immediately from it have long, weak, hairy footftalks of a red colour. The leaves themfelves are large, and beauti- fully formed: they are firft divided into three or five parts, and thefe are afterwards deeply in_ dented. They are ofa tender fubftance, of a pale green, and lightly fprinkled. over with white hairs. The ftalks are numerous, round, redifh, and jointed: they grow in the centre of this tuft of leaves, and are a foot or more in length, but not perfe@tly upright: the leaves from thefe are divided in the fame manner with thofe from the root, and are of the fame pale green. The flowers are moderately large, and of a bright red: they grow on flender pedicles, each fpliting toward the end, and fupporting two of them. The fruit, or beak, is long, flender, arid'co- vered at the bafe where the feeds lie by the cup, which is hairy. The whole plant has a very fingular, but not difagreeable fmell. ‘Towardthe end of fummer it frequently becomes throughout of a bright red colour, leaves, and ftalks, and even the beaks. It is common under hedges, and flowers in June. C. Bauhinecalls it Geranium Robertianum; and almoft all the fucceeding writers copy ‘the fame name. SeP EC lok, S, as in that fpecies, but fmoothand fhining, asare alfo their ftalks. The main ftalks rife among them, andare more: than a foot in length, but not upright: they are red, of a fhining furface, andhave frequent knots, which are large, and more glofly than the reft. Theleaves on it refemble thofe fromthe root. The flowers are fmall, andof afaint red ;, and the feed-veffel, or beak, is long andflender. It is frequent about our fea-coafts, and in many inland places. I have obferved it among buthes on the right-hand of the road to Chichefter. It flowers in June. Ray -calls it Geranium lucidum faxatile foliis geranit Robertiani. It has the fmell of the former, and probably its virtues. 2. Shining knotty Cranefbill. lucidum nodofumfoliis diffeciis. The root is long, flender, divided, and of a red colour. The firft leaves are nuterous, ‘and they are sported on flender footftalks : they are divided y into five parts, and thofe again cut in at Geranium columbinum majus flore minore ceruleo. This is the plant many haye confounded with the preceding in its name; and, having been taken for the fame {pecies, it has been omitted by molt writers. The root is long, flender, redifh, and furnifhed with many fibres. The leaves are numerous, and have very long footftalks: they are large, of a rounded form in the whole, but very deeply divided into feveral parts; and they are of a pale green colour, andcovered with a foft filvery down. The ftalk is round, thick, upright, and two feet high: itis alfo of a greenifh colour, though frequently red’ at the joints, and is covered with the fame filvery downas the leaves. The leaves upon this have long, flender, and weak footftalks, and are much more deeply divided than thofe from the root. The flowers ftand in confiderable numbers towards the tops of the ftalks: they are very fmall, thoughthe plant is fo large, and their colour is a faint blue. The feed vefiel, or beak, is long and flender. It is commonby way-fides, and flowers in July. Ray calls it Geranium columbinum majus flore minore ceruled. The flower in this fpecies is fometimes white. Ray found it in this condition near the lead mills on Hackneyriver, and it is frequent in the fame place at this time in the fame variation. 3. Dove’s-foot Cranefbill. 5. Dwarf Dove’s-foot. Geranium columbinum valgare: The root is long, thick, divided into feveral parts, and furnifhed with fibres. The leaves rife in a large tuft:. they have long, weak footftalks, of a pale whitith green: the leaves are roundifh and fmall ; they are divided into eight or ten deeper fegments at the edge, and thefe are again notched; but they arelefs cut in than thofe of many other of the dovefoots: they are of a pale green, and have fomething of .the appearance ofthe mallowleaf in miniature. The ftalks are round, weak, and a foot or more in height: they are numerous, branched, and of a pale green. they refemble invall 'refpeéts thofe from the root, but that they are'deeper cut at the edges. The flowers grow in confiderable numbers at the tops of the ftalks and branches ; andthey are of a beautiful purple, and moderately large. The ‘{eed-veffel is fimall and flender; it ftands enclofed in the cup at the bafe, and thatis. little and {mooth. It'is'common by ‘way-fides, and flowersin June. C.Bauhine calls it Geraniumfolio'maluerotund Others, ‘Geranium‘colimbinum, and Columbinun vulgare. Though common’enough, it is not fo frequent as manyof the others; and many a young ftudent has called the next ‘fpecies by its name. The place whereit is to be found neareft London is bythe'fide of the road from Gray’s-Inn lane half ‘a mile from the ftreet, a reek Geranium columbinum bumile flore:minimo ceruleo. The leaves are placed irregularly on thefe; and This plant is an aftringent of a very powerful kind; but is not enough known to ‘thofe who might make its virtues a’benefit to mankind. The farmers give it their cattle when they make bloody urine, or have bloody ftools; “ard this withcertain fuccefs: it fhould be brought into ufe in the fhops‘on the fate occafions, 4. Great dove’s-foot Cranefbill withlittle flowers. 4. Great The root is oblong, flender, and divided, and hasfeveral fibres. The firft leaves are fupported on long footftalks, five or fix together, from the root; and they are broad and fhort, deeply divided into about feven parts, and thofe notched again, at the edges. The ftalk is round, flender, upright, and not more than three inches high, feveral ufually rife together ; and they are of a pale colour, and feldom muchbranched. The leaves on them refemble thofe from the root, but they are more deeply divided, and have fhorter footftalks. The flowers are numerous, and very fmall: the petals are divided at the tips, and they are of a faint bluifh hue. The beak is fhort, fharp, and fmall; and. is enclofed at the bottom in a cup, which is large confidering the fmallnefs of the plant. It is common on ditch fides, and flowers in fpring. The fhape of the flower and beak fhew it plainly to be a diftinct {pecies; not, as might appear otherwife, a ftarved plant of fome of the other kinds. columbinum bumile flore Ray calls it Ger ceruleo minimo, 6. Dove’s-foot Cranefbill with deep cut leaves. Gei columbinum foliis profunde Jectis. The root is long, thick, divided into feveral parts, and hung with numerous fibres. N® 90, 197 Theleaves that rife from it are fupported on tall footftalks; and they are large, of a figure approaching in the whole to round, but divided by deep andfrequent fegments into very fmall and narrow parts. The ftalk is round, thick, upright, and a foot and half high: it is of a pale whitith colour, and very much branched. The leaves on the ftalk refemble thofe from the root, but are of a paler green, and more deeply divided. The flowers are {mall, and of a bright red: they ftand in great numbers toward the tops of the branches. The beaks are large and long. It is commonabout the hedges of dry paftures, and flowers in June. C. Bauhine calls it Geranium columbinum tenuius laciniatum. J. Bauhine, Gruinale folio tenuiter divifo. The flowers in this are alfo fometimes white. 7. Dove’sefoot Cranefbill with flowers on long footftalks. Geranium columbinum diffettis foltis pediculis foram longiffimis. The root is long, flender, and hung with a few fibres. The firft leaves are numerous, and are placed on long footftalks : they are of a form approaching to round, deeply divided into fegments, and of a dark dufky green. The ftalk is round, upright, firm, branched, and {mooth: it is of a pale colour, and jointed at diftances. Theleaves on it are like thofe from the root, but fmaller ; and they are alfo perfectly {mooth, and deeply divided. The flowers are fupported on very long and flender footftalks ; andthey are of a bright red : they are moderately large, and the petals are flightly divided. The beaks are large. It is common in dry paftures, -and flowers in July. Raycalls it Geranium columbinum difecis foliis pediculis florumlongiffimis. 8. The greateft dove’s-foot Cranefbill. Geranium columbinum maximum. The root is long and large, of a red colour, and furnifhed with numerous fibres. i The firft leavesrife in confiderable humber, and are fupported on very long footftalks: they are of a rounded figure, large, and deeply divided into numerous, narrow, and pointed fegments. The ftalk is round, thick, upright, and three fect high. The leaves on it ate like thofe from the root, but more deeply divided; and the whole plant is covered with a filvery down, The flowers are large and red, and they ftand on footftalks, longer than thofe of the other kinds, but not at all comparable to thofe of the laft fpecies. The beaks are large, long, and fharp. It is frequent in our midland counties, and flowers in July. Eee Seme |