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Show The, Bi Bele TI's 4. Celtick Spikenard. Valeriana foliis ovatis obtufis. Bagn7 It was with reafon C, Bauhine namedthe lat defcribed fpecies as refembling the Celtick Spikenard for they are fo like in their general afpect, that a common eye might take themfor the fame plant; though, ona clofer examination, they are found to differ widely. The rootof Celtick /pikenard is verylong, thick, ound; and brown : it runs obliquely into the and has numerous, large, and long fibre andits furface is covered with a brown fcaly matter, the remains offootftalks of former leaves: it is of a fragrant {mell, as is alfo the whole plant. The firft leavesrife in a confiderable tuft: they are of an oblong form, but approaching to oval: they Have long bafes, which ferve as footftalks ; and they are broad, and obtufe at the ends, not at all indented at the edge, and of a fine green. GE N. Hi HE R:B A‘L: The The ftalks are weak, flender, round, of a pale green, and fix or eight inches high, The leaves on thefe are oblong, narrow, ob. tufe, not at all indented, and of a fine ftrong green. The flowers ftand at the top in fmall, but BRITISH Go BP ON, The root is celebrated as a cordial and fudorifick: it is a warm and gentle medicine; and, taken for a continuance in tincture or powder, it ftrengthens the ftomach, prevents flatulencies, and opens obftructions of the vifcera. Uews I: III, LIMONIUM. HE flower is compofed of four petals: thefe are oblong, narrow at the bottom, and. broad at the top; and they unite fo as to form an oblong, flender tube, The cup to each flower ig fmall, formed ofa fingie leaf, tubular, and wide at the mouth: it is not divided, but is) folded at the edge. There'is befides this a common orgeneral cup, ferving to. many. flowers, and containing a long feries of them. This is of an imbricated form. The feed after every flower, is fingle, naked, and contained in the cup. = Linnzus places this among the pentendria pentagynia; the threads in the fower being five, and the ftyles from the rudiment of the feed the fame in number. ; This author confounds the /ea-lavender with thrift. He takes away the generical name Amoniums and makesall thefe plants fpecies of /fatice: but there is an abfolute and effential diftinétion in the general cup, which fupports that in the form and univerfal afpect. Thus Nature confirms her obvious differences, and thus this author has confounded them ; not heedlefsly, for he names this very difference, acknowledging, that while the commoncup of the dimonium contains a great number of flowers in along feries, and is fimple, and of an oblong form; that of /atice is triple, and comprehends them in a round clufter. This we thall explainat largeinits place, treating of ftatice. Wehave in this plant an inftance alfo of Linnaus’s error in feparating the naturally-allied genera of the prefent clafs, the valerian and valerianella being placed among the trigynia, and this and the fiatice among the pentagynia, EAM BS°LIPRLUC EH Ss SEA-LAVENDER. thick tufts ; and they are of a beautiful pale red, refembling that of a damafkrofe. The feeds are fmall, oblong, and wingedwith down. It is commonin France, Spain, and Italy. Tt flowers in July. C.Bauhine calls it Nardus Celtica Diofcoridis, Others, Nardus Celtica. Uae HERB AT, But thisis little to what we fhall have occafion to obferve in the fuc- ceeding genera. VALERIANELLA. HE flower is formed ofa fingle petal, which is tubular at the bottom, and crooked, andat the edgeis divided into five fegments. The cup is very fmall, and lightly indented in five places at d with down. the rim. Thefeedis fingle, naked, and is not wi Linnzeus places this among the triandria monog; the threads in the flowerbei hree, and the flyle from the rudiment of the fruit fingle. But he improperly joins it with the valerian; whereas not only the habit and general afpeét of the plant perfectly differs, but the feed has no down ; which 4s an effential, determinate, and properly generical character. 1. Common Lambs Lettuce. AZ%ox Valerianella vulgaris caule dichotomo. 1900 The root is fmall, oblong, and furnifhed with a few fibres. The firft leaves rife in a clufter, and are of a faint pale green: they have no footftalks: they are oblong, moderately broad, fmooth, undivided at the edges, and rounded at the end. The ftalk is upright, weak, flender, and ten inches high: it runs up fingle about half its height, andthere fplits into two parts ; and each of thefe divide again once or more in the fame manner ; fo that the top is fpreading and flat. The leaves ftand in pairs; and are oblong, and obtufe at the end: they have no footftalks, and they are ofa faint green, The flowers are very fmall, and white, with a flight tinge of blue: they ftand in fmall, thick tufts at the tops of all the divifions of the ftalk. Thefeeds are fingle, fmall, and naked. It is common in corn-fields, and wild in gardens.- It flowers in May. C. Bauhine calls it Valeriana cam major. Others, Valerianella Locufta. The young leaves are eaten in fallads, and have a pretty, but rather infipid tafte: they are very wholefome. The leaves of this plant vary extremely : naturally they are as here defcribed, undivided at the edges, and obtufe at the end; butina ftarved foil they will be narrower, fharp-pointed, and fer- rated ; and fometimes they are divided more deeply. Thefe, and other accidental varieties of a like kind, have been defcribed by authors as diftin& fpecies; but the ftudent mutt avoidthofe errors, 2. Great-feeded Lambs Lettuce. Valerianella femine magno. The root is fmall and fibrous. The firft leaves are oblong, broad, o large large, and of a pale green. The ftalk is a foot high, flender, whitifh, and upright, and dividedat the top in the fame ner as in the common kind, always by fplitt 5 into two. The leaves ftand in pairs; and they are obJong andfharply ferrated, and of a faint sreen The flowers ftand in fmall, thick tufts, and are little and white, with a very flight f blue. The feeds are fingle and large ; and they a {welled look : one follows every fower. It is common in corn-fields, and flowers in July. Morifon calls it Valerianelle v. is [peckss ma- jor ferotina ; and Kay takes the fame name. That author mentions alfo a fmall kis ferrated leaves; but that, as we have obf before, is only a variety. This isa d cies. The whole afpeét and fize ofthe andits late flowering, thew this; andit firmed by the fhape, fize, and fwelled lookofthe feed, which is an abfolute and invariable cha- GENUS } DLV.1S1.0N I. 1. Common Sea-Lavende 4 Ms Limonium vulgare, J BRITISH. = 77 AD” The root is long, thick, divided, and fpreading, The leaves rife in a large tuft: they are oblong, and confiderably broad: they have fhort SPECI E-S, into feveral branches: they are ufually naked, asin the other; but fometimes there grows a leaf or two near their bafe, refembling thofe from the root. The flowers are fmall, and of a very pale flefhy purple: they ftand in many long feries on the tops of the branches, footftalks, and are of a deep, dufky, bluith green. It is commonon ourfalt marfhes, and flowers The ftalk is round, firm, upright, and diyided into many branches it is of a pale green, andhas no leaves. “he flowers ftand at the tops of the branches in feveral long feries, principally on one fide 5 and they are fmall and purple. * The feedis fingle, fmall, roundifh, and brown. It is common in falt marfhes, and about our coafts, Jt flowers in June. C, Bauhine calls it Limonium maritimum majus. Others, Limonium vulgare. in May. Some have confoundedit with the formeras a variety ; but its leaves fpeak it a perfectly diftinct fpecies. Raycalls it Limonium minus. Others, Limo- nium parvum, 3. Sea-Lavender, with umbellated flowers. Limonium floribus umbellatis, The root is long, flender, of a redifh colour, and furnifhed with fever: res. Theleaves rife in aclufter ; and are fmall, and of a pale bluith green: t are oblong, narTow, andfharp-pointed ; and they have no foot- The root is long, thick, of a dufky brown, and furnifhed with many fibres. Theleaves rife in a large tuft; and they are ng, narrow, fharp-pointed, of a deep green, ced onfhort, red footftalks, alks are numerous, tall, thick, and divided toward the top into numerous branches : the height of the plant is a foot and half, andits tops fpread two feet in breadth. Mert The flowers are fmall and purple: theyftand at diftances from one another, and form a kind of umbel It is commonabout our fouthern coafts, anc flowers in July. Raycalls it sium Anglicum minus caulibus flalks, but rife from the root imme ramoforibus, floribus in f The roots of this plant are powerfully aftringent: they may-be given in decoétion, or in yder ; and they ftop loofenefies. The feeds are goodin the diabetes. 2. Dwarf Sea-Lavender, rade : Limonium foliisfe AZ2gua ely by a harrowbafe. Theftalks are numerous, flender, and divided s, Minus |