SOLIDAGO VIGAUREA. ORD. III. Composite Discoidex. 13 
‘biting groves and heaths, and flourishing in poor soils on mountainous 
situations. The root is woody, and furnished with long simple fibres; the 
stem rises from one to three feet in height, erect, slightly zigzag, angular, 
solid, downy, branched towards the top. The leaves are elliptic-oblong, 
stalked, more or less serrated, rough, clothed with a rigid down, of a dull 
_ green.on the upper surface, paler beneath. The stem-leaves are smaller, 
more entire, sessile, alternate, downy, and gradually diminishing to lan- 
ceolate bracteas. The Jlowers are of a bright yellow colour, in terminal 
and axillary panicles, forming dense leafy clusters, which vary much in the 
number and size of the flowers; in elevated situations being more dense, 
shorter, and less compound, The scales of the calyx are erect, lanceolate, 
downy, membraneous at the edges, and finely fringed, within of a silvery 
whiteness.* The florets of the disc are numerous, tubular, with five equal 
segments: those of the ray from five to ten; elliptic-oblong, three-toothed, 
spreading; the filaments are capillary, short; the anthers united into a 
cylindrical tube; the seeds are ovate, hairy; their down appearing rough 
when magnified; the receptacle is punctated and toothed at the margin. 
Fig. (a) represents the lower part of the stem and leaves in outline: (0) the 
calyx : (c) a floret of the ray: (d) a floret of the disc: (e) the receptacle. 
Qualities, &c. The whole herb, when slightly bruised, has a slight aromatic 
odour, and a weak astringent taste: these qualities are extracted both by 
water and alcohol: the watery infusion, made ‘with boiling water, has a 
slight astringent taste, and strikes a black colour with the sulphate of iron. 
We have not learnt that this plant has been chemically examined ; but from 
its slight astring gency, it probably contains a small portion of the tannin prin- 
cip €. 
Medical Properties amd Uses. This plant is astringent, tonic, and slightly 
diuretic : formerly it was much employed in calculous and other diseases of 
the bladder, and several cases are recorded+ of its beneficial effects. Never- 
theless it is seldom employed in modern practice : like many of our other 
indigenous plants, it is too common to be held in any esteem.. Old Gerarde, 
when alluding to the high. price this plant fetched, till it was discovered 
growing in the neighbourhood of London, when it ceased to be held in any 
estimation, observes—* This verifieth our English proverbe, ‘ Far fetcht and 
- * Withering. + See Gent. Mag. for 1788—and Med. and Phy. Journ. vol. 19. 
