Liatris dubia, 225 
All the leaves, peduncles, and calix scales are deeply pitted or dot- 
ted, and in the dried specimen, have a verrucose appearance. The 
plant flowers in the last of September. 
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. 
All the tuberous rooted species of the genus Liatris are active 
plants, and seem to be uniformly diuretic. The Liatris macrostachya 
is already noticed in Dr. Barton’s Collections, and Schoepf de- 
scribes the L. scariosa, by the name of Rough-root Jobelia, as 
an acrid, sub-bitter plant, possessed of diuretic virtues, and 
as useful in Gonorrhea. He states that the root has been pre- 
scribed with this view in weak decoctions, to considerable extent. 
Pursh says the same plant, and L. squarrosa, are known among 
the inhabitants of Virginia, Kentucky, and Carolina, by the name 
of “Rattle Snake’s Master ;’? and tells us, that when bitten by 
that animal, they bruise the bulbs of these plants, and apply 
them to the wounds, while at’ the same time they make a 
decoction of them in milk, which is taken inwardly, in the same 
manner as Prenanthes serpentaria. I have also two specimens 
of Liatris from Mr. Collins, the one received from Mr. Lyon, and col- 
lected by him in Ohio and Tennessee, under the name of Rattle-snake 
plant, the other collected by Mr. Collins himself, in Cove, or North 
Mountain, in the western part of Pennsylvania, last summer, where 
VOL, I. 30 
