204 CHAPTEKS ON BRITISH BOTANY. [July, 



Anethum. a. graveolens is a mere straggler in Britain. 

 (Tlieo. i. 18^ vii. 3, 4^ and ix. 7.) Several sorts are described in 

 the ' History of Plants/ See Bil. 78, 79. 



Anthemis. Under this name it is supposed that Theophras- 

 tus describes or mentions A. tinctoria only, a reputed British 

 species; also Pyrethrum Parthenium, Feverfew, another more 

 common but also suspected alien. The genuine Chamomile, A. 

 nobilis, does not reach, in the east of Europe, further south than 

 Dalmatia. It is not unfrequent in Spain, Portugal, and Naples. 

 See Bil. 220; Theo. i. 22, vii. 13 ; Stack. 9. 



Antirrhinum. A. Orontium is frequent both in the conti- 

 nent and islands of Greece. This is a widely distributed plant. 

 A specimen was lately sent to the writer of this from Madeira. 

 In Hist. Plantarum, ix. 21, it is said to be like Aparine, conse- 

 quently it cannot be the plant now known by the above name. 

 See Bil. 161 ; Theo. ix. 21 ; Stack. 10. Sprengel states that 

 the plant of our author is A. majus (Sp. vol. i. p. 96) ; and fur- 

 ther, that the text is corrupt. This is a common complaint 

 among commentators, especially when the text is not very ex- 

 plicit. ''Bene tamen, fructus [loa'xov ptva<? (calf's snout) ha- 

 bere" " This is well said, that its fruit is like a calf's snout." 

 Stackhouse observes a prudent silence on the identity of this 

 plant {"forsan planta magica," Illust. 25) . 



Aphaca. Theophrastus describes two kinds of Aphaca, one a 

 leguminifer with a broad legumen, viii. 5, and the seeds of which 

 readily germinate, viii. 10. The other is a composite plant, 

 which he describes as very bitter, with a pale yellow flower, 

 which quickly fades. The plant germinates early, 7rpoToi<} veroi<i 

 (vii. 8, 10, 11). The name denotes that they were uneatable 

 plants ; and it is well known that several species of this order, 

 especially the vetches, are very dangerous esculents. 



Apium {crekivov). A. graveolens and A. Petroselinum are 

 often noted or described by Theophrastus. With these are 

 joined Smyrnium and Hipposelinum (Horse Parsley), (Theo. i. 9, 

 15, 16, 19, iv. 9 ; Bil. 70; Stack. 65). These ancient synonyms 

 are probably in inextricable confusion. 



Arbutus. A. Unedo {Ko^apo^) is a plant easily identified. 

 It is admirably described by Clusius, Hist. rar. Plant, p. 47, 

 where there is a good figure of this ornamental shrub. This 

 species grows wild in the south-west of Ireland, and commonly 



