‘ 
ACHILLEA MILLEFOLIUM. — ORD. UI. Compositiv. 87 
iss. Gen. Ch. — Recept. paleacteum.”  Pappus nullus. Cal. ovatus 
imbricatus. #osculi radii circiter quinque. 
Sp. Ch. A. foliis bipinnatis nudis ; \ laciniis linearibus dentatis ; 
caulibus superne sulcatis. 
THE root is perennial, creeping, round, and furnished with many 
whitish fibres :* the stalk is upright, round, towards the bottom smooth 
and downy, but near the top it is slightly grooved, woolly, branched, 
and rises above a foot in height: the leaves stand alternately upon 
the stem, which they partly embrace, and are bipinnated: or sub- 
divided into a double series of pinnz: the pinnule are numerous, 
narrow, and somewhat pointed: the flowers are white, or tinged 
with purple, and terminate the stem in a Close’ corymbus: the 
bractez are small, pinnatifid, and placed at the peduncles: the calyx 
is ovate, downy, imbricated with concave oval scales, which are 
membranous, and fringed at the margins: the corolla is compound, 
and radiated ; at the disc the florets are about twelve, hermaphrodite, 
funnel-shaped, of the length of the calyx, consisting of a long 
yellowish tube, divided at the limb into five short segments: at the 
radius the florets are female, usually five, flat, spreading, roundish, 
eut at the apex into three teeth, and furnished with a cylindrical, 
greenish, striated tube, which is about the length of the calyx: the 
Ariens are five, short, and slender: the antherz are yellow, and 
unite into ‘a cylindrical tube: the germen is oblong, compressed, 
and supports filiform style, divided into two reflexed stigmata. It 
is common in dry pastures, and flowers from July till October. 
The leaves and flowers of this plant have an agreeable weak 
aromatic smell, and a bitterish, rough, and somewhat pungent taste, 
The virtue of both is extracted by watery and spirituous menstrua ; 
the astringency most perfectly by the former ; their aromatic warmth 
= Dr. Grew observes, that the fresh young roots have a glowing warm taste, 
approaching to that of Contrayerva, and thinks they might in some measure sup- 
ply its place. —On Tastes, chap. 5. §. 2 
No. ‘4. K 
