FAMILY HERBAL. 47 



together in a kind of thick short spike, so that io 

 the cluster they make a conspicuous appearance; 

 they are white with a very faint tinge of purple, 

 and are hairy within ; the root is whitish, long", 

 and thick. 



The leaves of buck-bean are to be gathered 

 before the stalks appear for flowering, and are 

 to be dried ; the powder of them will cure agues, 

 but their great use is against the rheumatism : 

 for this purpose they are to be given for a con- 

 tinuance of time in infusion, or in the manner of 



tea. 



Buckthorn. Spina cervfna 



A PRICKLY shrub, common in our hedges, 

 with pale green leaves, and black berries. It 

 grows to eight or ten feet high. The bark is 

 dark coloured and glossy, and the twigs are tough. 

 The leaves are oval, of a very regular and pretty 

 figure, and elegantly dented round the edges. 

 The flowers are little, and inconsiderable ; they 

 are of a greenish yellow, and grow in little clus- 

 ters. The berries, which are ripe in September, 

 are round, glossy, black, as big as the largest 

 pepper-corns, and contain each three or four 



seeds. 



The juiec of the berries, boiled up with sugar, 

 makes a good purge ; but it is apt to gripe, un- 

 less some spice bo added ia the making : It is a 

 rough purge, but a very good one. 



r 



BucKSHouN Plantain. Coronopus, 



^ 



A VERY prettjr little plant, which grows ia 

 our sandy and barren places, with the leaves 

 spread out in icanner of a star, all the way rouud 



.fl» 



