204 FAMILY HERBAL. 



Purple Loosestrife. Lysimachia purpurea}. 



A WILD plant, that decorates the sides of 



ditches and rivers^ and would be an ornament to 



our gardens. It grows to three feet high, and is 



Very regular ; the stalk is square, hairy, and gene- 

 rally of a reddish colour. The leaves stand two 



at each joint, and they are long and narrow ; of a 

 dusky grecDj and a little rough. The flowers stand 

 in very Jong spikes at the tops of the stalks, and 

 are large, and of a strong purple colour. The 

 spikes are often a foot or more in length. The 

 seed is very little and brown. 



The leaves are used. They are a" fine balsam 

 for fresh wounds, aiid an ointment is to be made oC 

 them boiled in lard^ Mbich is also cooling and de- 

 tersive, but it is not of a iine green colour. 



t 



Yellow Loosestrife. Lysimachia hifca. 



r ' 



A WILD plant not uncommon in our watery 

 aces, biit for its beauty, very worthy a place in 

 Our gardens. If it were brought from America, it 

 would be called one of the most elegant plants in 

 the world. It is four feet high, the sfalks arc rigid, 

 firm, upright, and vdry regular in their growth : a 

 little hairy ; and toward the tops divided into several 

 branches. The leaves are as long as ones finger, 

 and an inch an'd half broad in the middle, and small 

 at each end ; they area little hairy, and of a yellow- 

 ish green. The flowers are large and of a beautiful 

 yellow, they grow several together on the trps of 

 the brunches. The seed-v'essds arc full of small 



se 



he root dried and given in powder, is good 

 agajiist the whites, and against bloody finxr?s, aver- 



llowm^s of the menses, and purgings ; it is astrin- 



I't' 



