By Thomas Bruges Flower, Esq. 229 



1. E. centaurium, (Pers.) common or Gentian Centaury. Engl. 



Bot. t. 417. 



Locality. In dry barren pastures, on heaths, and sometimes in 

 newly cut woods. A. Fl. July, August, ^rea, 1.2.3.4.5. Gener- 

 ally distributed throughout Wilts. Stem, 8 or 10 inches to a foot 

 high. Leaves opposite, sessile, smooth, bright green; panicles of 

 flowers fascicled near the top of the stem, and forming a sort of 

 corymh ; corolla handsome, rose-coloured, sometimes white, expanding 

 only in sunshine, and closing almost as soon as gathered. The 

 plant is very bitter, and well known among herbalists as a stom- 

 achic, by the name of " lesser centaury." The following couplet 

 of Joannes Postius proves the estimation in which it was formerly 



held:— 



«« Flos miti suave rubet, sed inest quoque, succus amarus, 

 Q,uijuvat obsessum bile, aperitque jecur." 



Which Gerarde thus translates : — 



•' My floure is sweet in smell, bitter my juice in taste. 



Which purge cboler, and helps liver, that else would waste." 



Gentiana, (Linn.) Gentian. 

 Linn. CI. v. Ord. i. 

 Named from Gentius king of Illyria, who, according to Pliny, 

 brought into use the species so much valued in medicine, the bitter 

 Gentian, G. lutea. 



1. G. amarella, (Linn) autumnal Gentian. Felwort. Amarella, 

 probably from amarus fLat.) bitter. Engl. Bot. t. 236. 



Locality. Dry calcareous pastures. A. Fl. August, September. 

 Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts but not very common. 

 From 3 inches to a foot high, branched from the base, and covered 

 ■with flowers, of a pale rather dingy purple ; tube whitish, the mouth 

 fringed with purplish tapering filaments covered with prominent 

 dots. 



2. G. campesfris, (Linn.) field Gentian. Engl. Bot. t. 237. 

 Locality. Hilly places on limestone soil. A. Fl. August, Sep- 

 tember. Area, 1. * 3 * * 



South Division. 

 1. South-east District, "Pewsey Downs," Flor. Marlh. 



