44 CYPERUS. 



[class hi. order i. 



Habitat. — Common on the margin of rivers, drains, wet meatlows, 

 woods, &c. ^. " Found in Ayrshire by Mr. James Smith, of Ayr." 

 Perennial ; flowering in July. 



The fleshy rhizoraa of this plant was formerly used medicinally; it 

 is scentless, hut its juice is very bitter and acrid, producing great heat 

 and a copious discharge when applied to the lining membrane of the 

 nose or mouth ; hence it is used as an errhine and sialagogue, and will 

 sometimes relieve the tooth-ache. The quantity of feculent matter 

 which it contains, combined with its acridity, has caused it to be used 

 as a cathartic. By drying, it loses these qualities, and becomes astrin- 

 gent, and is then used in the preparation of black dyes, int, &c. Orris 

 root, the dried rhizoma of I.florrnti'na, is known by its agreeable violet 

 odour, and is used in the making of tooth and hair powders. The seed 

 oi I.pseudacortis are said, when roasted, to form an excellent substitute 

 for coff'ee. 



2. /. fatidis'sima, (Fig. 62.) stinking Iris, or Gladici/n. Perianth 

 beardless, the three inner segments spreading, about the size of 

 the stigmas, stem with one angle, leaves sword-shaped. 



English Botany, t. 596. — English Flora, vol. i. p. 50. — Lindley, Sy- 

 nopsis, p. 255. — Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 26. 



Stem about two feet high. Leaves sword -shaped, emitting when 

 bruised a peculiar odour, which would appear from its specific name 

 to have been particularly disagreeable to some persons, but is compared 

 by others to the smell of roast beef or mutton, from whence it has de- 

 rived the common P.nglish name of roast-beef plant. Flowers a dull 

 purple colour, streaked with dark veins, much smaller than the last 

 species. Crtja.^M/f three-celled. ^Scrrf numerous, globose, a deep orange 

 colour, smooth. 



Habitat. — In woods, under hedges, and in pastures ; common in the 

 southern parts of England. " In Devonshire it is so frequent, that 

 you can hardly avoid walking among it when herborising, and being 

 annoyed by the smell." Rare elsewhere, and not found in a wild state 

 in Scotland. 



Perennial ; flowering in May. 



When the capsules are ripe, the valves burst open, and cxpuse the 

 bright orange seeds, which remain attached to them for a considerable 

 time after, and have a singularly conspicuous, but beautiful appear- 

 ance. 



GENUS VI. CY'PERUS. C,/perus,or Calinf/alc. 



Nat. Ord. Cy'peracea:. 



(jEN. Char. Flowers in spikes, glumaceous. Spikelets two ranked, 

 imbricated, many flowered. Glumes of one keeled valve, gene- 



