290 DICECIA. — MONADELPH. 



This plant in drying becomes of a blue green colour; and it was sup- 

 posed it might yield a useful dye. With this view, Mr. Mackintosh 

 of Glasgow, a most able chemist, tried various experiments, which 

 were published many years ago in Curtis's Flora Loud. ; but he ne- 

 ver could succeed in fixing the fine blue colour which the plant 

 yielded. It is considered poisonous. 



2/ M. annua [anmiai Mercury), stem branched, branches 

 opposite, leaves glabrous, root fibrous annual. Lightf. p. 621 . 

 E. B. t. 559. 



Hab. Waste places about towns and villages, but not common. 

 Burntisland, Lightf. In the parish of Abcrfoyle, Rev. Dr. Gra- 

 hame. Fl. Aug. . 



One foot high. Sterile flowers on long, axillary, interrupted spikes. 



10. HYDROCHARIS. 



1. H. Morsiis ranee {common Frog-hil), Lighffoof, p. G22. 

 E. B. t. 808. 



Hab. Ditches and slow-flowing waters, but rare, Sibbald. FI. July. 11 . 



Floating and sending down from the horizontal stems long fibrous ra- 

 dicles, /.cores pctlolate, reniform, entire. Koit-ers subumbelhue, 

 from membranous bracteas or spathas, large, white, delicate. 



;. MONADELPHIA. 

 II. JUNIPERUS. 



1. J, communis {common Juniper), leaves ternate spreading 

 mucronate longer than the berry. Lightf. p. 6\3. E. B. 

 ^ 1100. 



Hab. Woods and heaths, frequent. Very dwarfish on the moors in 

 the north of Caithness. Fl. May. Pj . 



A slirub extremely variable in size, with numerous linear mucronated 

 leaves. Flowers axillary, small. The berries, which are blueish 

 black, form an important article of commerce in Holland, where 

 they are employed in the distillation of Geneva; and they give that 

 lingular flavour which our distillers try to imitate by oil of turpentine. 

 They are used in medicine. The wood is reddish and hard, and 

 employed for veneering, &c. It emits a fragrant smell when bruised. 



12. TAXUS. 



1. T. laccata {common Yeiv), leaves thickly set. Lighlf. 

 p. 626. £.5./. 746. 



Hab. Found here and there in the Highlands in a truly v.'ild state. 

 At Glcnure, near Glen-Creran in Upper Lorn, are the remains of 

 an old wood of it ; thence the name of the valley Gleaniuir, the 

 valley of Yew-trees, Lightf. Fl. March. Pj . 



A tree of no great height, but often of considerable diameter. Liglit- 

 foot tells us of one tree which Mr. Pennant saw in Fortingal church- 

 yard, whose trunk measured 56^ feet in circumference. The leaves 

 arc disticlious, linear, persistent, of a deep green colour. Sterile 

 Jlowers smallj clustered. Drupes rcd_, esteemed poisonous. The 



