136 FLORA HISTORICA. 



tence is necessary to the plant, and who perish with- 

 the flower that supports them. This species of 

 Bindweed has a perennial root, of a white milky 

 substance, which penetrates in a serpentine direction 

 so deeply into the earth, and is so firm in its tena- 

 city, as to render it next to impossible to destroy 

 it : for every atom of it left in the ground, at what- 

 ever depth, will reach the surface as a perfect plant. 

 In trenching of lands we have frequently seen it at 

 the depth of three feet, being the pest of the garden 

 and arable lands where it abounds. jMiller says it 

 is generally a sign of gravel lying under the sur- 

 face, and he adds that, from the depth it penetrates 

 into the ground, it is by some country people named 

 DeviFs-guts. It also bears the names of Cornbind^ 

 Withbind, Bindweed, Barebind, and Hedge-bells. 



" This plant represents to us," says Lucot, '' aa 

 obstinate person who persists in his opinion, and 

 prefers being torn in a thousand pieces sooner than 

 yield benevolently to what is required of him ;*" 

 hence we pronounce it the emblem of obstinacy. 



We cannot close our history of the Convolvulus 

 without reminding our medical friends that it is to 

 this genus of plants that they are indebted for two 

 of their most pov/erfid drugs. Jalap is obtained 

 from the Convolvulus Jalapa of South America, 

 which takes its name from Xalapa, a province lying 

 between INIexico and La Vera Cruz. 



