Orobanche uniflora. 234 
I have been accustomed to meet with it (and in this neighbourhood 
it is far from being rare) and [ have never seen specimens having 
purple flowers. Itis likely the one described by Pursh, is a variety. 
It must be noticed, however, that Gronovius, Willdenow and Pluke- 
net, describes the flowers as pale blue.* It is possible, therefore, that 
the plant growing in this vicinity, and which I have figured, may be 
a white variety of the blue-flowered species. Which is the type of 
the species I cannot undertake to decide. 
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. 
I have discovered, since the publication of Nos. 5 and 6, in which 
Orobanche Virginiana is described, that the present species is col- 
lected with the other, and used with it under the name of Cancer- 
root. My enquiries have satisfied me, that those who use the Cancer- 
root already described, attribute equal power to the present species. 
I have therefore, given a figure of the plant in an additional plate, 
more with a view to direct attention to it, than in the belief, that it 
has yet any undisputed claim to be ranked among medicines. Yet, 
I aim inclined to suspect most of the species of this genus to be pos- 
sessed of active properties. 
* Orobanche uniflora—Vagina spathacea, Flos pallide ceruleus, cernuus. Sp, Pl. 
