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Show 378 GREATER INDIAN CRESS, OR NASTURTIUM. HISTORY: This plant is native of Peru. It flowers in June till October, and is now commonin our gardens. VIRTUES. Whenbruised the leaves emit a pungent odour, with the smell of horse-radish. Bydistillation we obtain both the smell and flavour of this plant. Hence, wherethe taste of scurvy-grass is intolerable, we have a grateful substitute in the nasturtium of South America. GREATER BISTORT, orn SNAKEWEED. POLYGONUMBISTORTA. Class VIII. Octandria. Essent. Gen. CHar. Spec. CHAR. Order IIT. Trigynia. Corollafive-parted, calycine: Seed one, angular. Stem simple, swelled at the joints: Leaves ovate, running into the petioles. iama DESCRIPTION. Tueroot is about the thickness of the little finger, of a blackish colour on the outside, and reddish within; it is writhed or bent vermicularly (whence the name of the plant), with a joint at each bending, and full of bushyfibres: the root of this species has, however, generally but one or two turns, others three or more. The stalk is simple, about a foot anda half inheight. Radical leaves oval, or rather heart-shaped; the upper leaves narrower, undulated, and embrace the stem. ‘The flowers are clustered in a spike, and terminate the stem. These are of a light red colour, The corolla is tubular, divided into five small oval segments, which are at the base supplied with several nectariferous glands. HISTORY. Bistort grows wild in moist meadows inBritain, and flowers in May. |