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Show The Hi.ftory ·of P L A N T S. M ·AN D R A G 0 R A. T HE calyx is a large, erett, campan~lated perian~hium, of a quinquangular fi .. fi d Of One leaf divided mto five fem1-lanceolated fegments, venous gure, orme , · d · d d t The corolla confifis of a fingle petal, ereCt, an growmg gra ually an permanen. d d" "d d b d l wider from the bafe, hollow, a little larger than t?e cup, an 1v1 e , eyon t 1e middle, into five lanceolated fegments : the fiamma are _five ful;mlated filaments, of the length of the cup, and hairy at the bafe: the germe~ IS roundtfh; _the ~yle f~b 1 d f the length of the ftamina, and fomewhat decimated: the 1bgma .1s caplta~: J~ ~h~ fruit is ,a great globofe berry, containing two _cells : the receptacle 1s fle01y and convex on both .fides; the feeds are numerous, and ktdney-lhaped. . . Of this genus there is only one known fpedes, though ufually, from a fhght vanation in the fhape of the fruit, this is divided into two, a male and female. M A N D ll A G 0 R A. The root is very large, two inches thick, an? a f~ot, or more, in l~ngth ; often fingle, but fometimes divided from about the mtddle mto two parts, whtch th~ common people fuppofe like the thighs and legs of a man, and the up~er part hke the body; fometimes there are, however, three Qr four o_f ~hefe ~ran~he~ mftead of two : the colour of the outer furface is a pale brown, and 1t 1s whtte w~thm : the_ leaves are a foot, or more, in length, five inches in bread~h, br_oadeft m the m1ddle, and have no pedicles: they are of a dufky green colour, and dt~agree~ble f~ell: the flowers ftand on {bort pedicles four inches long, £lender, and nfing _1mmedtately .fi·om the root; one flower ftands on each. It is large, of a du~y greemfh co.lou~, wtth fome admixture of red,. and fomewhat hairy: the fruit, whtch fucceeds th1_s, IS round,. and of the fize ,of a fmall ,apple, green a.t firft, but yellow and foft, when. npe. . Sometimes it 1s not perfet.l:ly round, but of a 1 turbinated or pear-like form, m whtc? :afe the plant is called the female Mandrake, as in the other, or more common ftate, tt 1s called the male. The whole plant has a very bad fmell. . . , . It is a 1;1ative of Spain and Italy, and is frequent in gardens with us. C. Bauhtne calls it, Mandragor~ mas frut.l:u rotundo, and Mat:d:agora flor~ purpurafcente. It has been .efteemed a pmfon by many, and by others It 1s declared mnocent. The bark of the root was once in u[e as a narcotic j at prefent the leaves are ufed in ointments. VERBA SCUM. T HE calyx is a fmall permanent perianthium, formed of one leaf, divided into five ereCt, acute fegments at the rim : the corolla confifis of a fingle petal , of a rotated figure; the tube is cylindric, and very fhort; the limb is patent, and divided into five oval, obtufe fegments : the fiamina are five fubulated filaments, lhorter than the flower : the antherre are roundilh, compreffed, and ereCt : the germen is roundifh ; the ftyle is filiform, of the length of the ftamina, and iodinated ; the ftigma is thick and obtufe: the fruit is a roundi{b capfule, divided into two cell~ : the receptacles are of a femi-oval figure, and affixed to the. partition: the fee9s are numerous and angular. In moft fpecies, the ftamina ate inclinated, unequal, and covered with co-loured villi at the eafe. . This genus comprehends the Verbafcum and Blattaria of. authors. 1 • Verbafcum Joliis utrinque tomentojis, caule jloribus fe./Jilibus clavato. The Verbafcum, with leaves woolly 011 each fide, and with fejjile flowers. <Ultbitt iJJ!)uUetn. The root is oblong, fingle, woody, moderately thick, and covered with fibres; the radical leaves are fourteen inches long, and fix in breadth; they are woolly, and pointed at the extremity: the fialk is thick, firm, and rigid, and grows to fix or eight feet high : the leaves fiand very clofe, in an irregular manner on it; they have no pedicles, but have membranaceous appendages often running a great way from their bafes,. ~nd gtvmg Tbe Hijlory of P L A N T S. giving the fialk an alated figure. They are four or five inches long, and two or three broad, very white and woolly, and pointed at the extremity : the ftalk terminates in a kind of fpike of a foot and half, or more, in length, compofed of multitudes of flowers, very thick fet together, and opening fucceffively and irregularly : they are moderately large, of a beautiful yellow, and the anthem~ in them of a bright purple. The plant is common with us in dry places. C. Bauhine calls it, Verbafcum. mas latifolium luteum ; others, Tapfus barbatus. 2. J/erbafcum Joliis ovatis crenatis fubtus tomentojis, caule angulato. The oval, crenated-leaved Verbafcum, with angul~r Jlalks. · l/5la.clt ~ul~ letn. The root is oblong, fingle, and furnilhed with a number of fmall and flender fibres. The radical leaves are ten inches long, and four, or more, broad, crenated round the edges, and pointed at the ends. The fialk is angular, and grows to five or fix feet in height: the leaves fiand irregularly on it, but at fome diltance from one another; they have pedicles of two inches lo'hg, and ufually of a reddi{b colour, and are of an oval form, four or five inches long, crenated round the edges, of a dufky green at top, and hoary or woolly underneath: The top of the ftalk furnifhes a lorig fpike of flowers,. thick fet together, and openmg irregularly ; they are large, of a beautiful bright yellow with purple antherre. · , It is common by road-fides, in many parts of England. C. Bauhine calls it Verbafcum nigrum. flore. ex luteo purpurafcente; Dodonreus, Verbafcum nigr':lm; Lobel, Verbafcum falvtre folto. · 3· J/erbafcum foliis amplexicaulibus oblongis glabris, pedunculis filitariis. · The oblong, jmooth-leaved Verbafcum, with Jingle peduncles. ~euoru ~otb ~ulletn. The root is oblong, thick, and furnilhed with a multitude of fibres. The radical leaves are three inches long, an inch broad, crenated at the edges, and of a dark green colour: the fialk is round; it rifes to two or three feet high; the leaves fiand irregularly, and pretty clofe on it: they furround the fialk at the bafe, and are two or three inches long, an inch broad, jagged at their edges, and of a dufky green colour, fmooth and lhining ; the top of the !l:alk furnilhes a long fpike of flowers, but they are not p!aced fo clofe as in the former fpecies, but each ftands out on it's own feparate pe~ hcle. ~hey are very large, and of an extreamly beautiful yellow colour : the ftamina m th~ mtdfi. are of a deep ftrong purple, and add greatly to the beauty of the flower. It IS a native of England, but is not common with us. C. Bauhine calls it, Blattaria lutea folio oblongo laciniato ; J. Bauhine, Blattaria lutea. The flowers are often white. The other fpecies of Verbafcum are, 1. The great, fweet-fcented, white Verbafcum. 2. The thick-leaved, branched, gold yellow-flowered Verbafcum. 3· The undulated-leaved Verbafcum. 4· The dufty Verbafcum, with a fmall, yellow flower. 5· The tall, white-flowered Verbafcum. 6. The branched, [mall-flowered, fmoothleaved Verbafcum.. 7· The barrage-leaved Verbafcum. 8. The purple-flowered Verbafcum. 9·. The tall, jagged-leaved Verbafcum, with great, yellow flowers. 10. The multtfid-leaved, hoary Verbafcum. 11. The conjugate-leaved, Cretic Verbafcum. 12. The fhrubby, fpinofe Verbafcum. I 3· The white, finuated-leaved Verbafcum. I 4· The Conyza-leaved Verbafcum, with ferrugineous, yellow flowers. I 5· The betony-leaved Verbafcum. 16. The long, narrow-leaved Verbafcum. 17. The roundilh, white-leaved Verbafcum. C 0 R IS. |