244 GENTIANS^— GENTIAN TRIBE 



— spots so well loved by the botanist. Mr. Curtis justly says, that it is equal 

 in beauty to the kalmias, rhododendrons, and exotic heaths, on which so 

 much money is expended, while this is unregarded. Certainly, the rambler 

 who shall at its flowering time come across some lonely pond, deep hidden in 

 the woods, of which this plant has taken full possession, is never likely to 

 forget the wonderful beauty of the scene presented by thousands of spikes 

 of fringed flowers. The stem is but little raised above the moist soil or 

 water, and has at its top three succulent sea-green leaflets, very much 

 like those of the common field-bean ; each leaf-stalk has a sheathing 

 base, opposite to one of which rises the beautiful cluster of blossoms. 

 Before these are fully expanded, they are of a bright rose tint ; and when 

 quite open, the petals are covered with a white silken fringe, like plush. The 

 flowers appear in June and July. This plant is often called Bog-bean, and is 

 the Meniante of the French, and the Fieherhlee, or Bocksbohne, of the Germans. 

 The Dutch call it Drichladige ruighloem, and also Boex boonen; Avhile about 

 Hamburg it is known as the " Flower of Liberty," and the inhabitants say 

 that it grows only within their land, and has never been seen in the south of 

 Denmark, which adjoins it. Sir William Hooker saw it in great plenty in 

 Iceland, and says that it is of much use to travellers there, who are unac- 

 quainted with the route on the morasses ; for they are well aware that 

 wherever it grows they may safely pass over its thickly-woven roots, which 

 make a firm bed beneath the soft subsoil. The Icelanders use pieces of 

 their matted tufts to prevent the saddle or any load from chafing the 

 horse's back. 



The bitter roots of the Bog-bean form one of our best native tonic 

 medicines, and the author has known them to be placed in wine, which was 

 afterwards drunk with very great benefit by persons afflicted with rheuma- 

 tism. They are also an old and effectual remedy for ague ; and in Sweden 

 the plant is used as a substitute for the hop, two ounces of the leaves serving 

 instead of two pounds of that plant. The Laplanders eat the powdered 

 roots, which are full of starch, but probably employ some means to lessen 

 their bitterness ; possibly the mixture with meal in making it into bread, and 

 the subsequent baking, sufficiently mitigate this unpleasant character. From 

 Parkinson we learn that the plant was in his time called Marsh Clover. 



6. ViLLARSiA (Filldrsia). 



Nymphsea-like Villarsia {K nym.phceoides). — Leaves round, heart- 

 shaped at the base, floating, wavy at the edges ; stem long, round, branched ; 

 perennial. This is a most elegant water-plant, bearing its large yellow 

 plaited flowers in July and August. It is very rare, but occurs in the still 

 back-waters of the Thames and some rivers in Yorkshire ; though north of 

 Norfolk and in Scotland and Ireland it is thought to be naturalized only. In 

 Holland it is so abundant as almost to cover some of the canals. The French 

 botanist, M. de Villars, whose memory the name of this flower records, wrote 

 in 1786 a "Flora of Dauphine," which is in use even in the present day. 

 The leaves of the plant are much like those of the water-lily, but are smaller 

 in size. The Villarsia may be easily propagated either by seeds or by 



