303 FLORA HISTORICA. 



weeds that grow about the villages, where the 

 land is cultivated ; and it has been frequently 

 observed, that in the earth brought with plants 

 from various parts of the new world, the Thorn- 

 apple often springs up. The earliest English 

 writers on plants who have mentioned the Da- 

 tura, call it Thorny-apple of Peru. It appears 

 to have travelled through the East Indies and 

 Persia to Europe, as we find the seed was first 

 brought to this country from Constantinople, by 

 Lord Edward Zouch, who gave it to Gerard, in 

 the reign of Queen EUzabeth. Gerard observes 

 that he made great use of the plant in his pro- 

 fession as a surgeon, not only for burns and 

 scalds, but also for " virulent and maUgne vlcers, 

 apostemes, and such like." This author tells us 

 that he dispersed the seeds of this plant through 

 this land. Thus we have a positive proof of the 

 time of its introduction, and that it is not a native 

 plant of this island, as it is frequently set down 

 in many catalogues of British plants. It has, 

 however, so far naturalized itself in our soil that 

 it is frequently found in waste places and on 

 dung heaps, and is often found a troublesome 

 intruder on the parterre, for the seeds being dug 

 into the earth, will remain for several years, and 

 vegetate when again turned up to the air. When 



