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Show The Hi.ftory of P L A N T S. ' 230 of the length of the !lamina, and femibifid ; the fti~mata a;e capitat~d. . The fruit confifis of two dry berries of a globofe :fig~r~, zro'VVtng clofe togethei, but not cohering: the feeds are fingle, large, a~d umbtlttated. . . ~ , This genus comprehends the Gallmm and the Apanne of fournefort, ~nd others, nay even of Linnreus himfelf; for, tho' there are the characters of thefe dehvered fcparately in his Genera PJantarum, 97 a~d 98, as of .two genera, and under the two names of Gallium and Aparine, on companfon they will be found to be the fame ; the very words are almofi literally repeated. 1, Gallium Joliis plurimis lineari/Jus, ramis florife~is brevibus. ~cllolb JLantc.s 'Ibe many-leawed Galliam, with Jhort flowering l5tbftralb. branches. · The root of this ·fpecies creeps a long way under the' furface of the ground, and is :flender, woody, and brown. From the feveral parts of this rife fialks, which grow to two feet in height ; they are roundiili, and often red. At the joln.ts fiand numbers of very narrow leaves, in form of a fiar, of a blackiili-green colour, and pointed at the ends; there are ufually eight or nine at a joint: at each joint there commonly are alfo two branches; at the tops of thefe; as well as of the main fialks, ftand ch\llers of beautiful yellow flowers. The plant is ftequent in our pafiures, and by way-·fides. C. Bauhine calls it, Gallium luteum. Haller, Gallium foliis otl:onis graciliffimis, fpica florea caulem terminante. 2. Gallium Joliis pluribus acutis, caule Jlaccido, ramis . patenti.Jlimis. imtl)ttt 1Latlit!i The acute mzd many-leaved Gallium, with a flaccid 28ti)ftt:alb. jlalk, and patent branches. The root of this fpecies creeps under the furface, and is :flehder, jointed, and furn ilh~ ed ~ith a multitude of fibres ; from the joints rife fl:alks, which grow to two fee t, OL'·· more, in length, but are weak, and fcarce able to fupport themfelves quite ereCt. They are fquare, and their joints fiand at confiderable difl:ances : at every joint there are placed about eight leaves, in a radiated form; they are oblong, and p~inted , and fomewhat broad. At the top of the fialk, and of rhe branches, which are very nume-rous, fiand great clufiers of white, fmall flowers. .. This ipecies is very frequent with us in pafiutes. Tournefort calls it, Gallium al· bum vulgare. Haller, Gallium caule quadrangulo foliis ocronis glabris, acuminatis. 3. Gallium caule fubqfpero, foliis lineari-lcmceolatis JPinulis terminatis. JLtttlt <!len·:: The rough-jlalked Gallium, with lineari-lanceolated leaves, btt.S'. terminated by ./Pines. • ~his is one of the Galliums commonly known'.under tbe name of an Aparine, but 1t dtffers greatly from the fpecies, called Common Cleavers. It's root is flender and creeping, and from every joint fends up two or three fialks; thefe are fqu are, but weak, and grow to about eight inches high. At every joint there ftand four, five, or fix leave~, narrow, and pointed at the extremity, fomewhat rough to the touch, and of a greytili-green colour : at the top of the fialk fiand little clufiers of white flowe rs, larger ~han t~1of~ of the com~on cleavers, though the plant itfclf is fo much fmaller . . Th1s fpe~tes ~s freque?t w1th us under hedges in fpring. Tournefort calls it, Apa• nne palufins mmor Panfienfis flare alba, Haller Gallium caule fubafpero foliis qua· ternis et fenis fpinula terminatis. ' ' The other more fin gular fpecies of this genus are, I, of thofe called Gallia : 1. The broa~-leaved, branched, mountain Galliur_n. 2, The narrow-leaved, p~rple-flowered Gallmm. 3· The annual, .Yellow Gallmm: 4· The v:erticillate, yellow Gallium. 5· The glaucous-leaved Galhurn, 6. The httle molfy Gallium. ~. Of thofe called ~ .Aparines, 17Je Hijlory of P L A N T , S. 231 Aparines there are, I. The common Aparine. 2. Th~ fmall-fruited Aparine. 3. The verrucol.'ls Aparine. 4· The echinated Aparine, S· The little, narrowleaved Aparine. 6. The purple; hoary-leaved Aparine. The common Aparine is in fame efi:eem as an antifcorbutic. The yellow Gallium is fpoken of by fame as fingular, in that it yields an acid liquor in difiillation : analyfes of plants were not common, when this was advanced : I know fcarce any plant that does' not yield fuch an acid. R U B I A. 'T HE calyx of the Rubia is a very fmall perianthium, formed of one leaf, qua .. dridentated, and affixed on the germen. The corolla confifis of a fingle petal, without a tube; it is divided into four fegmentsJ plane, acute, and hollowed at the bafe : the fiamina are four fubulated filaments, ihorter than the flower ; the anthera:~ are fimple : the germen is didymous; the fiyle is filiform, and bifid at the top ; the fiigmata are capitated. Th~ fruit confifis _of two fucc~l~nt, fmooth, round berries, growing together : the feed IS fingle, roundtlh, and umb1hcated. I. Rubia Joliis finis. The fix-leaved Madder. The root of this fpecies is long, moderately thick, and difperfes itfelf under the furface every way ; it is of a reddiih colour, fucculent and tender in the outer part, but with a woody fibre in the middle. It's tafie is partly fweet, partly acute, and fomewhat bitterHb. The ftalks grow to two or three feet; they are fquare, weak, and rough to the touch, having a kind of fharp, hooked fpines fet all the way down them. At every joint there fiand fix leaves in a radiated form ; they are oblong, moderately broad, pointed, and rough to the touch : at the top of the fialk, and of the branches growing from the alre of the leaves, ftand clufiers of fmall flowers of a greeniih yellow colour. This plant is not a native of England ; it is cultivated in Germany, for the root, C. Bauhine calls it, Rubia tinetorum fativa; others, Rubia hortenfis. 2. Rubia foliis quaternis. Four-leaved Madder. The root of this fpecies is compofed of a number of long, flender ramifications, fpreading. every way under the furface; it is hard, of a browniih colour, and of an aufiere tafie : the fialk rifes to a foot high, and at every joint has a fet of leaves, ufually four, difpofed in a radiated form ; thefe are ihort, fomewhat broad, pointed at the ends, and rough to the touch. At the top of the branches and of the main ftalk fiand clufiers of fmall yellow flowers. This fpecies is '3. native of England, but not common. I met with it this year, near Colfierworth in Lincoln{hire, in confiderable abundance. C. Bauhine calls it, Rubia fylvefiris afpera quce fylvefiris Diofcoridis. The root of the firfi fpecies is ufed in dying; and alfo in medicine, as a deob!lruent. Clqfs the Fourth. Order tbe Firfl. Divijion the Third. Tetrandria Monogynia, with monopetalous flowers, without the peculiar charaEfers of the fecond divijion. - S I P H 0 N A N T H U S. T H E calyx is a fmall perianthium : the corolla confifis of a fingle petal, which is extreamly long, and placed below the germen. The fiamina are four £lender filaments ; the antherce are oblong, and thick: the fruit is a congeries of four roundilh and moderately large berries, in each of which is contained a fingle feed . Thefe |