loS HORTUS JAMAICENSIS. cat 



a four-cleft fjerm, filiform style, and bifid stigma ; there is no pericarp ; cahx 

 sUiiigiit, cuntaiiiuig the st;eds ui its bosom, winch are four, sub-ovate. 



CATARIA. 



Flowers in spikes; whorls sub-pedicellcd ; leaves petioled, cordate, tooth- 

 serrate. 



This plant is a native of Europe, but thrives very well in Jamaica, The stalk in 

 branched, ihe leaves are hoary, parviculariy belaw. The flowers arc flesh-coloured, 

 growing verticillate in spikes at tlie tops of the branches ; the middle :'egment of the 

 lower lip is sj)otted with red. The plant lias a bitter taste and a. strong smell, not un- 

 like pennyroyal. An infusion of it is reckoned a good cephalic and euimenagogue, be- 

 ing found very efficacious in clilorotic cases. Two ourites of the expres.sed juice may 

 be given for a dose. It is called cat-mint, because cats are very fond of it, especially 

 when it is withered ; for then they will roll themselves on it, and tear it to pieces, 

 chewing it in tiieir inouttis with great pleasure. Mr. Pay mentions his Jiavivi"" traiis- 

 planteil some of the plants from the fields into his garden, v.hich were soon destroved. 

 , t)y the cats ; but the plants which came up. from the seeds in Jhs garden escaped-; thi.s 

 verifies an old proverb, '^^ If you set it, tlie cats will eat it ; ifyousowit, the cats will 

 not know it." Mr. Withering is of opiuion, that where tliere is a great quantity of 

 plants growing together, the cats will not meddle with ihein ; but Mr. Miller observes 

 that he has frequently ti-aus[)kuited one of these plants from another part of the garden, 

 nithin two feet of which some came up from seeds ; in -which case, the latter have re- 

 mained unhurt, wlien the former have been torn to pieces and destroyed : he acknow- 

 ledges, lK)wever, that where there is a large quantity of the he*b growing together, 



.they will not touch it. This is a curious circumstance, and not easily accounted for ; 

 Mr. Ray, however, has assigned a reason, which seems j-ust in a certain degree, that 

 the cat is fond of the plant in a languid or withering state, or when the peculiar scent 

 of it is excited by ha^^'ing been handled or bruised ; but still this does not account for 



:the cats avoiding it when in considerable quantities, and only making a prey of it when 

 in detached parcels. 



This plant is very hardy, and easily propagated byseeds. "If sown upon a poor dry 



-soil it does not grow too rank, but continues longet-, and has a handsomer appijiaraue^ 

 hp.a iu rich ground, where it grows too luxuriantly, and loses.its sceat. 



* -CaT-IsUil See Turjeey-Berries. 



CAT-TAIL, OR REED MACE. TYPHA. 



Cl. 21, OR. ". Monoecia trmndn'a. "N.\T. OR. Calamariie. 



This generic nabne is derived from a Greek word for, a marsh, where these plants 

 generally grow. 



Of.n. CHAR. The male flowers are nujnerou.s, in an amen t, terminating the culm ; 

 the caiyx is a common anient, cylindrical, very close, composed of three-ieaved 

 setaceous proper perianths ; there is no corolla ; the stamens arc three filaments, 

 -capillary, the length of the calyx ; anthers oblong, pendulous. The female 

 fiovyers are nuraerous, ia an auient swrouudiog the same cubn, digested very 



compactly^ 



