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hath jive awl'Pjnpedfta:-nina, which are Jhorter than the 

 petal, terminated by fingle ftimmits. In the center is 

 fituaUd an oblong cylindrical gerrnen, having no ftyky 

 hut is crowned by two oval ftigmas. The germen af- 

 terward becomes an oblong taper-pointed capfule^ with one 

 celh containing many fmall feeds f aft ened to the valves of 



the capfule. 



This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond feftion of 



LinniEUs's fifth clafs, intitlei Pentandria Digynia, 

 which includes the plants whofe flowers have five {la- 

 mina and two ftigmas. 

 The Species are, 

 T Gentiana {Lutea) corollis qulnquefidis rotatis ver- 

 'ticillatis, calycibus fpathaceis. Hall. Helv. 479. Gen- 

 tian with qidnquefidwheel-floaped petals grozving in whorls, 

 and hood-like empalements. Gentiana major lutca. C. 

 ,B. P. 187- Greater yellozv Gentian. 



2. Gentiana {Pneumonathe) coroUis quinquefidis cam- 

 ' panulatis oppofitis pcdunculatis, foliis linearibus. 



Lin. Sp. Plant. 228. Gentian with beU-fhaped qidnque- 

 fid petals placed oppofite upon foot-ftalks, and very nar- 

 . row leaves, Gentiana auguftifolia autumnalis major. 

 C. B. P. 188, Greaternarrow-leaved autumnal Gentian. 



3. Gentiana {Afclepiades) corollis quinquefidis cam- 

 . panulatis oppofitis fefiilibus, foliis amplexicaulibus. 



Lin. Sp. Plant. 227. Gentian with bell-fhaped ([tiinquefid 

 petals fitting clofe to the Jlalk oppofite, and leaves e7n- 

 bractng the ftalk. Gentian Afclepiades folio. C. B. P. 

 . 187. Gentian with a Swallow-wort leaf. r . • • 



4. Gentiana {Acaulis) corolla quinquefida campanu- 

 lata, caulem excedente. Lin. Sp. Plant. 228. Gen- 

 iian with a bell-fhaped q^uinquefid petal exceeding the ftalk. 

 Gentiana Alpina latifolia, magno flore. C. B. P. 187. 



/ 



com- 



- monly called Gentianella, '■ . 



5. Gentiana {Nivalis) corollis quinquefidis infundibu- 



liformibus, ramis unifloris alternis. Lin. Sp, Plant. 



229. Gentian with funnel-Jhaped qtdnquefid petals, and 

 ,. alternate branches having one flower. , Gentiana annua, 

 . foliis Centaurii minoris. Tourn. Inft. 81, Annual Gen- 



; tian with le£er Centaury leaves. 



6; Gentiana {Cruciata) corollis quadrifidis imberbibus 



. ■ verticillatis fefiilibus. Lin. Sp. Plant. 231. Gentian 



V)ith quadrifid petals without beards, growing in whorls 



dofe to the ftalks, Gentiana cruciata. C. B. P. 188. 

 Croffivort Gentian. -. ^ : >^ 



7. Gentiana {CilUata) corollis quadrifidis margine ci- 

 - liatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 231. Gentian with a four-pointed 

 pet aU whofe border is hairy. Gentianella cserulea oris 

 pilofis. C. B. P. 188. Blue Gentian with hairy brims. 



\lofc 



quinquefidis hypo- 



1' ' ' . 



crateriformibus, calycibus plicatis alatis. Lin. Sp. 



-. Plant. 229. Gentian with falver-Jhaped quinquefid petals, 



, end winged plaited empalements. Gentiana utriculis 



> ventricofis. C. B. P.^ 188. Gentian with a ventricofe 



9. Gentiana {Centaureum) corollis quinquefidis infun- 

 ... . dibuliformibus caule dichotomo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 229. 

 'i. Gentian with a funnel-fhapedy jrve-pojnj^d petal, ai'J a 

 forked ftalh^ Centaurium minus, C. B. P. 276." Lefjer 



..Centaury, . 



y foil at urn) 



, foliatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 232. Gentian with an eight- 

 - -.pointed petal, and'^horough-wax leaves. Centaurium lu- 

 V. teum perfoliatum. C. B. P. 278. Yellow perfoliate Cen- 

 • . taury. , . ' . . • 



11. Gentiana (Spicata) corollis quinquefidis floribus 

 ■; alternis fefiilibus. Lin.. Sp. Plant. 230. Gentian with 



funnel-ftoaped five-pointed petals^ flowers growing alter- 

 , nate, and fitting clofe to the ftalks. Centaurium minus 

 ■ fpicatum album. C. B. P. 278. Leffer Centaury with 

 ■ . a white fpiked flower. 



12. ^Gentiana {Exaltata) corollis quinquefidis co- 

 ronatis crenatis, pedunculo terminali lonp-ififmo di- 

 cnotomo. Lin. Sp. 331. Gentian with a five-pointed 



petal, a very long footftalk, and forked branches. 

 Centaurium minus maritimum amplo flore ca^ruleo. 



rium. Cat* 3, Leffer maritime Centaury with a large 

 blue flower, ... 



The firft fort is the common Gentian of the n:iops, 







d 



e 



GEN 



whofe root is one of the principal in^rredients in 

 bitters. 



This plant has a large thick root of a ycllowidi 

 brown colour, and a very birter talle v the lower 

 leaves are of an oblong oval fiiape, a little pointe 

 at the end, fciff, ofayellowifii green, and have fiv 

 large veins on the back of each, and are plaited. The 

 ftalk rifes to the height of three or four feet, wiuch 

 is garnifhcd with leaves, growing by pairs at each 

 joint, almoft embracing the ftalk at their bafe ; 

 thefe are of the fame form with the lov/er, but di- 

 minifh gradually in their fize to the top. The flowers 

 come out in whorls at the joints, toward the upper 

 part of the ftalks, ftanding on fnort foot-ftalks, v/hofe 

 origin is from the wings of the leaves ; thefe are of 

 a pale yellow, and have one petal, which is divided 

 almoft to the bottom, havino- an oblono- cylindrical 

 germen, which afterward fweils to an oblong taper 

 capfule, w^hich is bifid at the point, and opens in two 

 cells, filled with fmall feeds. 



r ... 



It grov/s naturally in the paftures in Switzerland, and 

 in the mountainous parts of Germany, from whence 

 the roots are brought to England for medicinal ufe 1 



there is a compound water, and an extract made of 

 them. The root of the Gentian is alfo one of the 

 principal ingredients in bitters, and is frequently ufed 

 in many diforders. 

 But a few years ago, there was a mixture of Henbane 



, roots brought over with Gentian, which w^as unhap- 

 pily ufed, and occafioned great diforders in the perlons 

 to whom it was adminiftered; upon which great en- 

 quiry was then made to find out what that root could 

 be, fome fufpefting it to be the root of Deadly 

 Nightftiade, and others believing it to be fome of the 

 poifonous umbelliferous roots, but on comparino- it 

 with fome dried roots of the Henbane, I found they 

 ^ were the fame. We have likewife an account of the 

 noxious quality of thefe roots, printed in the Synopfis 

 Stirpium Hibernicarum, which was communicated to 

 the author by Dr. Thomas Molyneux, phyfician la 

 the ftate ; it was as follow^s ; 



The Dean of Clonfert was making fome alterations 

 in his garden, and, looking over his vv^orkmen, he ob- 

 feryed them to dig up many roots, which he took for 

 Skirrets, and therefore ordered fome of them to be 

 carried in and drefled for dinner, v/hich was accord- 

 ingly done •, but all thofe who eat of them were in 

 a fhort time feized with dizzinefs in their head, fick- 

 nefs at the ftomach, attended with an unufual heat 

 and drinefs in their throats j and two, who had eat^ert ^^ 

 a larger ihare than the reft, 'loft the ufe of their rea- 

 fon, and became delirious, which continued for fome ' 



, . days ; and as it appeared evident thefe diforders were 

 occafioned by the rqqtSj the Dean caufed fome of them 

 to be planted, that he might be aiTured what the plane 

 was whofe roots had this bad quality j and in the 

 fpring, when they put out their leaves, they proved 

 to be the Henbane, which has been noticed by old 

 writers to be pofiTefled of thefe qualities. And as the 

 diforders which were pccaficned by thefe fuppofed 



. Gentian roots, were nearly the fame, as is above re- 

 lated, I thought it might be of ufe to infert it here, 

 to caution others againft eating of roots which they 



, are unacquainted with. 

 This plant delights in a light loamy foil and a fhady 



• fituation, where it will thrive much better than in a 

 light dry foil, or in an open expofure* " It is propa- 

 gated by feeds, which ftiould be fown in pots foon 

 after it is ripe, for if it is kept till the fpring, it will 

 , not fucceed ; thefe pots fhould be placed in a ftiady 

 fituation', and kept clean from weeds. In the fpring 

 the plants will appear, when they muft be duly wa- 

 tered in dry weather, and kept clean from weeds 

 till the following autumn ^ then they ftiould be care- 

 fully fliaken out of the pots, fo as not to break or 

 injure their roots \ and a fhady border of loamy 

 earth fhquld be well dug arid prepared to receive 

 them, into which the plants fhould be planted at about 

 fix inches diftance each way, obferving to let the 

 top of the roots be a little below the furface of the . 



6 B ground, 



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