COMPOSITiE. 149 



This plant is supposed by some botanists to be the origin of the cultivated 

 Lettuce of the gardens. Its properties are much the same as those of L. virosa. The 

 Garden Lettuce was introduced into England about the middle of the sixteenth 

 century ; it is not certainly known from what country, but De CandoUe thinks from 

 India. The variety first cultivated appears from its name to have come from an 

 island of the Greek Archipelago ; it is still known as the Cos Lettuce, and is cultivated 

 extensively for domestic use. Lettuces are generally raised from seed, and are planted 

 out after they have attained a sufficient size, the leaves being tied up with bass to 

 bleach the internal ones, by which means they are rendered more juicy and less bitter 

 to the taste. The history of our familiar plants would be far from complete were 

 we to exclude, as some of our critics suggest, the quaint and often curious notions 

 entertained by the early botanists as to their uses and properties. We maintain 

 that it is interesting, if not instructive, to know that two hundred and fifty years ago 

 it was thought by old Gerarde, a much-esteemed and learned " Master in Chirurgirie," 

 that " Lettuce maketh a pleasant sallad, being eaten raw with vineger, oile, and a 

 little salt ; but if it be boiled, it is sooner digested and nourisheth more." He goes on 

 to say that " it is served in these dales, and in these countries in the beginning of 

 supper, and eaten first before any other meat, which also Martiall testifieth to be done 

 in his time, marvelling why some did use it for a service at the end of supper, in these 

 verses — being translated : — 



' Tell me why Lettuce, which our grandsires last did eate, 

 Is now of late become to be the first of meate.' 



Notwithstanding it may now and then be eaten at both those times, to the health of 

 the body ; for being taken before meat, it doth many times stir up appetite ; and 

 eaten after supper it keepeth away drunkennesse, which corameth by the wine ; and 

 that is by reason that it staieth the vapours from rising up into the head. Pliny 

 tells us that ' Lettuce on being outwardly applied mitigateth all inflammations ; it is 

 good for burnings and scaldings, if it be laid thereon with salt before the blisters do 

 appeare.' " 



SPECIES IIL-LACTUCA S ALIGN A. Linn. 



Plate DCCCVL 



Mllot, Fh Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1700. 



Heich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XIX. Tab. MCCCCXX. Fig. L 



Stem glabrous, rarely with a few scabrous points in the lower 

 portion. Radical leaves oblong- or elliptical-strapshaped, entire, 

 or sinuate - pinnatifid ; stem-leaves erect, strapshaped - elliptical, 

 entire, or rarely ascending and runcinate-pinnatifid, acute ; all 

 (except the lowest) hastate- amplexicaul with acute divaricate 

 auricles (not decurrent), smooth on the margins and midrib, or 

 in the pinnatifid forms sometimes with a few prickles on the 

 under side of the midrib. Panicle sub-spicate, with the branches 

 very short, erect. Achenes greyish-olive, elliptical-ovoid, narrowly 

 bordered, glabrous at the summit ; beak white, as long as the 

 achene. 



