385 
a reddifli ftyle, terminated with a brufh-like ftii 
gma 
«=» 
a great degree of fenfibility :f the germen is egg-ihaped, and fupports 
: the calyx 
becomes the feed veflel, and contains an egg-ihaped feed. Th 
female flower ftands between the other two, from which it differ 
in not being furnifhed with flamina. 
reckoned amongft the moil common of Britifh plants, growing 
s 
I 
4- 
L 
Id walls, and flowering from May till Septemb 
<p 
r. 
This 
promifes little from its fenfibl 
fmell, and its tafte is {imply herb 
qu 
it has no 
Formerly it was accounted 
emollient, and was one of the five herbs of this denomination 
but 
ffed 
ght to b 
ferved merely th 
as Parietaria has no mucilaginous quality, th 
afcribed to the warm water, for which the 
purpofe of a vehicle. Its character, as a diuretic, is better known 
Matthiolus tells us, that its expreffed juice, fweetened with fug 
had a very powerful effed in this way:' and Barbeirac b informs 
that a decoction of this pi 
and uva urfi, was found of 
* 
in cl 
g 
us 
ufe 
A 
g the urinary paffages of vifcid mucus, and fabulous 
cretions : thefe teftimonies however will have 
con 
weight with the 
medical praditioner, and it is now very feldom ufed, though fan&ioned 
with a place in the Materia Medica of both the Pharmacopoeias. 
a Matt, in Diofc, p. 782. 
b Medic, conftit. 1 75 1, p. 163. 
and 
f « For if irritated with a point of a pin, they fly from the calyx with elaftic force 
See, / 
* 
The leaves, ftrewed in granaries, are faid to deftroy the corn weevil. Light. 
Dr. Withering has been informed that this plant contains a confiderable quantity of 
nitre, and that in making an extrad from it, the mafs has taken fire. Bet. Arr.p. 1142. 
This quality of parietaria is alfo noticed by Mr* Lightfoot 
L 
c 
I 
No 
29 
V 
SALSOLA KALI. 
