NAT. ORDER. 



Composites. 



ANTHEMIS PYRETHRUM. SPANISH CHAMOMILE. 



Class XIX. Syngenesia. Order II. Polygamia Superflua. 



Gen. Char. Receptacle, chafFy. Seed-down, none, or a membranous 

 margin. Calyx, hemispherical, nearly equal. Florets, oH the 

 ray more than five 



Spe. Char. Stems, simple, one-flowered, decumbent. Leaves, 

 many times pinnated. 



The root is perennial, tapering, long, externally brown, and 

 sends off several small, whitish, fibres ; the stems are simple, round, 

 trailing, bearing but one flower, and rise about a foot in height ; 

 the leaves are double, pinnate, with narrow, nearly linear segments, 

 of a pale green color ; the Jlowers are large, at the disc, of a yellow 

 color, at the radius, white on the upper side, on the under side, of 

 a purple color — the different florets answer to the description given 

 of the Anthemis nobilis. It flowers in June and July. 



This plant is a native of the Levant, and the southern parts of 

 Europe ; it was first cultivated in England by Lobel, in the year 

 1570, since which time it has been introduced into France, and 

 some parts of the United States ; but does not ripen its seeds here, 

 unless the season proves very long and dry. The root is the part 

 considered as officinal, and used under the name of Pellitory of 

 Spain ; it has a very hot pungent taste, without any sensible smell ; 

 its pungency resides in a resinous matter, of the more fixed kind, 

 being extracted completely by rectified spirit, and only in small 

 part by water, and not being carried off, in evaporation or distilla- 

 tion by either menstrum. 



'' in 



