31 



O. 



i> 



RHAMNUS CATHARTICUS. PURGING BUCKTHORN. 



STNONTMJ. Spina cervlna. Pharm. Lojid.i^ Ed'tnb, Rham- 



nus catharticus. Bauh, Pin, p. ^y^. Rail HiJI. p, 1^2^, Synop, 

 p. 466. Hudfon, Flor, J?ig.p, 98. Withering, Bot.Arrang.p. 230. 

 Flor, Dan. 850. Rhamnus folutlvus. Gerard Emac. p. 1337. 

 Rhamnus folutlvus five Spina infedorla vulgaris. Park, Tloeat, p, 

 243. Rhamnus foliis fplnofis, ovato-Ianceolatis, ferratis. Hal. 

 Stijp. Helv. n, 824. 



b 



Clafs Pentandrla. Ord, Monogynia. Lin, Gen, Plant, 265. 



* 



EJf, Gen, Ch, CaU tubulofus ; fquamls ftamina munientibus. Cor, 



nulla. Bacca, 



Sp, Ch, R. fpinls termlnallbus, floiibus quadriUdis dioicis, foliis 



ovatis, caule eredlo. 



y 



THIS fhrub is covered with dark brownlfh bark, divided into many 

 branches, befet with ftrong fpines, and ufually rifes feven or eight feet 



in height : the leaves are nearly elliptical, ferrated, veined, and ftand 



on fhortiih footftalks : the flowers are commonly male and female 

 upon different plants, fmall, greenilh, and placed in clufters upon 

 fimple peduncles: the calyx fupplies the place of a corolla, it Is 

 funnel-fhaped, of a pale green colour, and divided at the extremity 



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into four fpreading pointed fegments : the filaments are ufually four 

 arifmg from the bafe of a fmall convex fcale, very fliort, and furniihed 

 with round antherse : the germen is round, and fupports a flender 

 ftyle, terminated by a trifid fligma : the fruit is a round black berry 

 containing four feeds, which are comprefTed on one fide, and protu- 

 berant on the other. It is a native of Britain, ufually growing in 



woods and hedges near brooks, flowering in May and June, and 



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ripening its feeds about the end of September. 



The fruit or berries of this Shrub, w^hich have been long received 



into the Materia Medica, are about the fize of a fmall pea, and when 



ripe 



