LABIATiE. 55 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer, Autumn. 



Eootstock with shortly creeping hoi-izontal branches terminating in 

 tufts of leaves, which have the petiole often longer than the lamina, 

 which is 1 to 3 mches long, more or less cordate at the base, obtuse. 

 Flowering stems from immediately below the i-osette of radical leaves ; 

 rather stout and rigid, 3 inches to 3 feet high, with few pairs of leaves, 

 the uppermost pair distant from the spike and sometimes, but very 

 rarely, with branches terminating in spikes in their axils. Stem leaves 

 few, smaller and more parallel-sided than the radical leaves, becoming 

 narrower, more acute, and with shorter stalks the higher they are 

 placed on the stem. Spike 1 to 3 inches long; the pair of bracts at its 

 base longer than the calyx, strapshaped, deeply serrate, the other pairs 

 of bracts mucli smaller and entire or nearly so. Calyx § inch long. 

 Corolla I inch long, dark purplisli red, hairy externally; upper lip 

 erect, very slightly concave internally; lower Up 3-lobed, with the 

 central lobe round, crenate or sometimes emarginate ; ^vhich last form, 

 however, has not been observed in Britain, either by Professor Babington 

 or by myself. Plant deep green, more or less clothed -with hairs ; the 

 stem and peduncles hairy with adpressed-deflexed hairs, but both on 

 the stem and leaves the degree of pubescence is very various. 



Mr. Charles Bayley has sent me from Cornwall a dwarf form with 

 decumbent stems. 



Wood Betony. 



Frencl), Spiaire des champs. German, Feldziest. 



The common name of this plant, according to Dr. Prior, is said by Pliny to have 

 beep first called Vettonica, from the Vettones, a people of Spain ; but modern 

 authors treat this derivation with great contempt, and resolve the word into the 

 primitive or Celtic form of hero (a head), and ton (good), it being good for complaints 

 in the head. An old proverb says, " Sell your coat and buy betony," expressing the 

 high admiration in which our forefathers held this plant. " He has as many virtues 

 as betony," is the saying of the Spaniard, with whom the herb was in great repute 

 at one time. In addition to its medicinal virtues, the betony was formerly supposed 

 to be endowed with great power against evil spirits. On this account it was carefully 

 planted in churchyards ; and hung round the neck as an amulet or charm, sancti- 

 fying, as Erasmus tells us, " those that carried it about them," and being also " good 

 against fearfiil visions." Culpepper, in his " Herbal," gives us a long hst of the 

 excellences of this plant, saying, " These are some of the many virtues Antony 

 Musa, an expert physician (for it was not the practice of Octa\'ius Cffisar to keep 

 fools about him), appropriates to betony. It is a very precious herb, that is certain, 

 and most fitting to be kept in a man's house, both in syrup, conserve, oyl, oyntment, 

 and plaister." It was largely cultivated in the physic gardens both of the apothe- 

 caries and the monasteries, and may still be found growing in the ground about the 

 sites of these ancient buildings. Even at this date there are dilierences of opinion 

 as to its real virtues, and it is not without its adherents. It enters into the com- 

 position of a certain kind of snuff, known as " cephalic snuff," said to be useful in 

 headache. 



