^44 



THE root IS woody, tough, and extends to a confiderable lengtli: 

 the. ftalk is fhrubby, branched, and covered with Ught browii 

 bart : it uiually rifes from four to fix feet in height, and fends forth 

 a great number of flender angular green fhoots : the leaves are fmall 

 downy, divided into three oval leafits, and ftanding upon footftalks 

 of different lengths : the flowers are large, numerous, of the papili- 

 onaceous fliape, and of a bright yellow colour : the calyx is tubular, 

 divided tranfverfely at the margin into two lips, of thefe the upper- 

 moft is entire, the undermoft flightly notched : the corolla is corii- 

 pofed of five petals : the fuperior, or ftandard petal is inverfely heart- 

 Ihaped, and bent backwards : the two lateral petals, or wings, are 

 oblong, convex, lefs than the ftandard, and united to the filaments : 

 the keel is compofed of the two undermoft petals, which are con- 



neded together by foft hairs at the margin, fo as to appear keel-fhaped : 



X 



the filaments are teUj'^nine of which are united at the bafe, of unequal 

 length, curled inwards, and furnifhed with oblong antherse : the germen 

 is flat, oblong, hairy, and fupports a flender flyle, with an oblong 

 ftigma : the feeds are round, or fomewhat kidney-fhaped, and con- 

 tained in a long cylindrical pod, like that of the garden pea. It is 

 common in dry fandy paftures, and flowers in April and May. 



Linnasus, Bergius,'' and feveral other writers feem to have con- 

 founded the medicinal qualities of this plant with thofe of Genilla 

 tindoria : the officinal Genifta is however by the Britifh Pharmaco- 

 poeias confidered to be the common Broom, of which the tops and 

 feeds are direded for ufe. The tops and leaves of Broom have a 

 naufeous bitter tafte, which they impart by infuflon both to water 

 and fpirit. They are commended for their purgative and diuretic 

 qualities, and have therefore been fuccefsfully employed in hydropic 

 cafes, of which particular inftances are related by Mead " and others 



) 



to which we may add the following from Dr. Cullen : " Genifta, 

 though very little in ufe, I have inferted in my catalogue 



They both fay of G. tincaoria, " Virtus 



while the common broom Is pafTed unnoticed. Sec M, M, Lin.p.iyo 



pellens, purgans, Usus: Hydrops J 



b 



Mo 



n. 



y Frac. p. 138. where we are told that a patient by talcing half a pint 



of a 

 morning 



decoaion of green Broom tops, with a fpoonful of whole muftard feed, every "^°"^jg° 

 and evening, was cured, after being tapped three times, and trying the ufual rem 



gtven in dropfies. See alfo Mohring M. N, C, vol, v, p. 32. 



cathartics) 



X 



