466 ORD. XXVI. Multisilique. © picraMNuS ALBUS.” 
THE root is perennial, and sends off many long spreading fibres : 
the leaves are pinnated and large; pinne elliptical, veined, 
pointed, slightly serrated, stand in pairs, and are terminated by an 
edd one, which is the largest: the stalk is round, smooth, erect, 
and rises about a foot and a haif in height: the bractez are 
stipular, and placed singly at the base of the peduncles: the 
flowers appear from May till July; they are numerous, large, 
white, terminate the stem, and stand alternately upon long pe- 
duncles, which towards the top are bent downwards, and beset 
with small glands; the corolla is composed of five white petals, 
of an obversely oval shape, and inserted into the calyx by long 
claws: the calyx is rough, and divided into five short segments: 
the filaments are ten, about the length of the corolla, marked with 
minute glands, and furnished with large anthere: the germen is 
pentangular: the style short, tapering, and supplied with a pointed 
stigma: the seed vessels are five united ——- each of which 
contains two small oval seeds. 
This plant, which is commonly called Fraxinella,* is a native of 
France, Germany, and Italy. It was cultivated here by Gerard, 
and frequently adorns the borders of our flower gardens, especially 
the red variety, which is the handsomer plant. It emits a fragrant 
bituminous odour, which seems to be the essential oil of the herb, 
secreted by numerous small glands, with which the peduncles and 
filaments are abundantly furnished. These odorous effluvia are so 
very inflammable, that on the application of flame, = take fire, 
especially on the evening of a hot dry day.* 
The root, which is the part directed for medicinal use, “‘ when 
fresh, has a moderately strong, not disagreeable smell, but as met 
~- with in the shops it has scarcely any. To the taste it discovers a 
pretty strong and very durable bitterness, which is taken up both 
by watery and spirituous menstrua, and on inspissating the filtered 
* From the resemblance its leaves have to those of the ash. 
* Vide Du Hamel, Phys: des arbres, tom, i, p. 150, Nollet, Cours, de Piys. 
vol, i, p. 300 
