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Show The PRE HERB AE. Di V.esil.0O.N io BR Common Cuckowpint. SF, 4 Arum vulgare. P4772 The rootis a roundifh, tuberous lump, brown a on the outfide, and white within, placed at d confiderable depth underthe furface, and furnifhe with a few fibres. Theleavesare placed on long, thick footttalks 5 and they are very large, and of an arrow-headed fhape, fplit deep at the bafe, and fharp at the point: they are ofa fine frefh green, and are often fpotted with black, and fometimes with white 3 fpots. The ftalk rifes in the midft of thefe, and is furrounded by the hollow bafes of their footftalks: it is round, thick, and ten inches high: on its top ftands a fingle flower. The thready part at the bottom is yellowifh: the receptacle, which is lengthened out in form ofa club,is red, purple, or white ; for thefe are accidental varieties. It is commonunder hedges, and flowers in May, C. Bauhine and others call it drum vulgare, and Arum maculatum. Some have defcribed the fpotted kind as a difting&t fpecies ; but the variety is altogether accidental, It is a very powerful and excellent medicine, Tt operates by urine, and is good againft the i. 33 There are in this genus feparate male and female flowers on diftin& plants: bu t they differ only in this, that the male flowers have certain buttons, though without threads, and the female an oblong rudiment ofthe fruit. Linnzus places this among the diwcia Syngenefia; the flowers being male and female on feparate plants, and the buttons growing together in a body : but heis obliged toi acknowledge. , that there are in fome fpecies, which he cannot difpute to be ofthis genus, flowers which have the male and female parts together. This fhews the generical diftinétion he has eftab] ithed to be imperfeét, and the claffical chara¢ter falfe ; but thefe things we'haveoften obferved. Common Butchers Broom. Rufeus vulgaris. tt7 Tt: gravel. A piece of it bruifed and laid upon the tongue, has reftored the fpeech in paralytick cafes; and a conferve of it, made with two-thirds fugar, has done eminent fervice in the feurvy, and in rheu- matifms., The virtues of it are lefs known than they fhould be, from this fingle circumftance, that it is commonly ufed dry. It lofes all its efficacy with its juice ; and this the tafte manifefts. “BRIT TS HOHE RR ph feeds. ce iS kis eye C. 1B 8. Nothing is more acrid than the frefh root; but when dryit is infipid. The berries are ofa fine bright red. DT Viic8, 2.0: No The This is a tough and fhrubby plant, though of no confiderable height or bignefs. The root is long, thick, and fpreading. The ftalk is round, firm, upright, a foot and half high, and divided into many branches to- ward the top. The leaves are very numerous and {mall : they are of a bluifh green colour, and of a firm fubftance: they are broadeft at the bafe, narrower to the point, where they end in a fharp prickle, and not atall ferrated. The flowersare {mall, and of a greenith white: they ftand upon the leaves, one on each, and ufually near the centre. The berry is large, andof a beautiful red. Wehave it on wafte grounds, It flowers early in fpring. : C. Bauhine calls it Rufius. Others, Rufeusve Brufcus. We, Knee-holly, and Butchers broom. Theroot is a powerful and excellent diuretick : the beft way ofgivingit is in deco¢tion, It thus is ferviceable in the gravel, and all nephritick complaints, and again{t obftru@ions of the vif- cera. Cures of dropfies have been performed by this medicine alone; but it muft be taken early, otherwife there is little hope. F,0 RE yliG N.S Pi E.C.1 ES. 1. /Egyptian Arum. Arum Agyptiacun, FZ.“ye 74 The root is very large, tuberous, and of an irregular form ; of a redifh brownonthe outfide, white within, and of an acrid tafte, but not fo violently fharp as our arum. The leaves grow fingly on long, thick footftalks: they are very large, of adeep fhining green, and of a fhape fomewhat approaching to heart-fafhioned: they are broad at the bafe, and ther way ferves to prepare it for the table. What Bontius writes of its being poifonous, has no other meaning than that it is acrid. Three days foaking in water, he fays, takesoff all its ill qualities ; and this, or a much fhorter time, is found perfectly well to prepare it for food pleafantly and wholefomely. 2. Arrow-leaved Arum. are there very lightly and bluntly indented : they are from this part gradually fmaller to the end, where they terminate obtufely; and the ftalk is not inferted at the edge, but in the fubftance of the leaf, a third below the top. The ftalk which fupports the flower is round, thick, juicy, and of a pale green, The flower refembles that of our common arum. The cup is a great, oblong, hollow cafe: the club within is white, and of an uneven furface; and the thready partis yellow. The berries are large and red. Tt is a native of Agypt, and of the Greek iflands. It rarely flowers. C.Bauhine calls it Arum maximum igyptium quod vulgo Colacafia. Others, Arum Agyptium, and Colacafia. Therootis eaten in Egypt, and other parts of the Eaft, as food ; and it is not confined in this ufe to the place whereit naturally grows, but fold Groot into other countries. The fharpnefs of its tafte goes off by foaking in water, or by drying: ei- a : biked 1 Vo mas XIV. DWARF HONEYSUCKLE. CHAM#APERICLYMENUM HE flower is compofed of four petals, of an oblong form. Thecup is fmall, andis divided into four fegments at the edge. The fruit is a large berry, of an uneven furface, compofed of feveral fmaller round ones. Linnzus places this amongthe ¢etrandria monogynia, joining it with the cornus, but improperly. There is but one known fpecies of this genus, and that is commonto Britain, and the other nor- thern parts of Europe. ae Arumfoliis anguftis fagittatis. 72 47utThe root is brown, large, tuberous, andfurnifhed with a few thick fibres. The leaves are numerous; and they areplaced on long, flender footftalks: they are of a perfeét arrow-headed fhape, oblong, flender, fharppointed, fplit at the bafe, and with fharp points alfo to the beards. The flower rifes upon a flender green ftalk, and is contained in a hollow cafe or cup: this is green onthe outfide, yellowith within, and highly ribbed. Theclub is ufually yellow, fometimes white or purple. The berries are red. It is common in the American iflands, and flowers in April. Plukenetcalls it Arumminus fagittaria foliis. Dwarf Honeyfuckle. Chamepericlymenum. Ja Jul 7 * 4 The root is long, flender, and fpreading: it runs under the furface, and is furnifhed with manyfibres. Theftalk is round, flender, upright, and about five inches high. The leaves are placed in pairs :. they are large, oblong, broad, pointed at the ends, not at all divided at the edges, and marked with highribs: they have no footftalks, and their colour is a bluifh green. The flower ftands at the top of the ftalk ; but there ufually rife two little fhoots from the fame G E point ; each of whichhastwo orfour leaves onit like the others. Thefloweris large and white. The fruit is compofed of feveral little berries joined together, and is ofa fine red, The whole plant, as it decays, often becomes redifh. We haveit on hills in the northern parts of the kingdom. It flowers in May. C, Bauhine calls it Periclymenum tertium five bumile, Others, Chamepericlymenum. It obtained this name, the Englith of which is Dwarf honey- Juckle, from thofe who {aw thefruit, and not the flower. Nereis CLOUD XV. B.E'R Rey. CHAMZMORUS. Gee Noa ies XIII. BUTCHERS BROOM. KO, Sis Ce 8. 'HE. flower has no petals. Thecupis compofed of fix fmall leaves, of an oval form, convex, and turned at one edge: dee three of thefe ftand inward, and have by fome been miftaken for petals of a flower, Thefruit is a round berry, divided within into three cells, in each ofwhich are two I “feeds, HE flower is compofed of five large, obtufe petals ; and is fingle on each plant, terminating the ftalk. The cup is divided into five fegments, and remains after the flower. The fruit is : a large berry, compofed of many fmaller, placed upon a convex head. Linnzeus places this among the icofandria polygynia ; the threads being numerous, and growing to the cup; and the ftyles being alfo numerous, one rifing from the rudiment of every fucceeding grain of the fruic, This author joins it with the common bramble; from whichit differs in the Hower, being fingle on the top of every plant, and in other obvious circumftances. |