226 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



palc-olive or purplish when quite ripe, readily attaching itself to 

 the coats of animals and the clothes of passers-hy hy means of its 

 hooked hairs, as, indeed, is the tendency of the whole plant, from 

 the prickles on the stem and margins of the leaves. 



Goosegrass. 



French, Gaillet Gratoron. German, Kletterndes Lahhravi. 



Most persons are acquainted with the peculiar characteristic of this creeping plant. 

 From its well-known property of clinging to whatever it comes in contact with, it is 

 called Cleavers, Catch-weed, or Scratch-weed, and also Goosegrass, from its being a 

 favourite food of these birds. In a very curious book just published, called " Leech - 

 dom's Wortcunning and Star Craft of Early England," edited and collected by the Rev, 

 Oswald Cockayne, M.A., many curious i-evelations as to the medical philosophy of 

 our Saxon forefathei's are made, and it is interesting in these remote times to know 

 something of the mysterious qualities at one period ascribed to our commonest herbs. 

 We find our little Goosegrass endowed with wondrous powers. It is called clote, 

 elite, or clivers, and the old herbal says, — " This wort is named (piXuvBoiOTrog [from 

 (jiiXoc, a lover, and ardpiorroc, a man], and is in our language men-loving, because it will 

 readily cleave to a man. One also nameth it by another name clote, and it from 

 itself sendeth forth many boughs, and those long and four-edged ; and it is stiflf in 

 leaves, and it hath a great stalk, and in the middle is hollow, as we before said. For 

 rends of adders and of the worms, which one calleth ^aXayyia or tarantulas, take wash 

 of this wort pounded in wine, give it to drink, it will be of benefit. For sore of ears, 

 take ooze of this ilk wort, drip on the ear, it healeth the sore." 



Our old friend Gerarde, some centuries later, seems yet to have retained a belief in 

 many of the virtues of the Goosegrass. He says, — " The juyce which is pressed out of 

 the seeds, stalkes, and leaves, as Dioscorides writeth, is a i-emedie for them that are 

 bitten of the poison, some spiders, called in Latine phalangia, and of vipers if it be 

 drunk with wine. And the herbe stamped with swines grease wasteth away the 

 kernels by the throte. Pliny teacheth that the leaves being applied doe also stay the 

 abundance of bloud issuing out of wounds. Women do usually make pottage of 

 clevers with a little mutton and otemeale, to cause lanknesse, and keepe them from 

 fatnesse." According to Linnaeus, the stalks are used in Sweden as a filter to strain 

 milk through. Dioscorides relates that the shepherds made the same use of it in his 

 time. It is considered in rural districts to be a purifier of the blood, and for that 

 purpose the tops are put into spring broth. The expressed juice of the herb taken to 

 the amount of four ounces, or quarter of a pint, night and morning during several 

 weeks, is supposed to be valuable in cutaneous disorders. The seeds are a substitute 

 for coffee. The roots, like most of the genus, will dye red, and eaten by birds, are 

 said to have tinged their bones of that colour. 



■'i i i SPECIES XIIL— G ALIUM TRICORNE. With. 



Plate DCLIX. 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. Tab. MCXCVIII. Fig. 3. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1216. 



Annual. Stems branched principally towards the base; the 

 branches simple, prostrate, glabrous, the angles very prominent, 



