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The figures of this plant can scarcely fail of being characteristic, 

 its appearance is so different from that of our other species: Dillenius 

 figures several varieties, all of them very expressive of its distinguish- 

 ing features. These varieties appear to be the result of locality : 

 when last at the Birmingham Botanic Garden, Mr. Cameron called 

 my attention to some living specimens which he had himself collected 

 on the Titterstone Clee Hill ; in these the lower leaves were consider- 

 ably narrower and somewhat reflexed, and the plants (as indeed do all 

 from the same locality) exhibited a uniform although scarcely describ- 

 able difference from those of Scotland, the North of England, and 

 Caernarvonshire; and these again differ from the specimens collected 

 in Norfolk, Sussex and Surrey, which are also of uniform apjjearanco, 

 of much smaller size, and have the branches obtusely pointed rather 

 than flat-topped. When rooted in the fissure of a rock it occasionally 

 assinnes a pendulous character, the branches being very long and 

 their extremities recurved ; in this state the whole appearance of the 

 plant is graceful and elegant, and totally dissimilar to its normal 

 form; such specimens I have found on the rocks in the Pass of Llan- 

 berris, and my brother has lately procm-ed a fine example on the 

 ascent of Plinlymmon. Mr. Babington in a note to me observes, " I 

 have a curious specimen which was growing under a rock near Llan- 

 berris, in which the stems are prostrate and about a foot in length, and 

 the leaves less densely placed than is usual in the species." 



This species has received credit for many extraordinary medical 

 properties; T shall record only a few of these. In the ' Flora Prus- 

 sica' it is recommended as a specific for ruptures, bruises, &c. Brey- 

 nius asserts that a decoction of it destroys the lice which infest man ; 

 and Linneus informs us that the Swedes employ it to kill those of 

 swine and cattle. Schwenckenfeldius says that is used by countrymen 

 as a cathartic and emetic ; and Linneus, on the authority of Rothraan, 

 adds that it is sold, though not commonly, in the chemists' shops of 

 Sweden, under the name of " vfiuscus calharticus,^'' and is'prescribed 

 in the form of a decoction as an emetic ; but remarks that the dose must 

 be very weak, otherwise it is likely to produce convulsions. Lightfoot 

 says tliat it is taken by the Highlanders both as a cathartic and emetic, 

 but unless used in small quantities it induces giddiness and convul- 

 sions ; he also informs us that in the island of Raasay, near Skye, and 

 in some other places, it is used instead of alum, to fix colours in dy- 

 ing woollen cloths. 



The roots are numerous, tough, wiry, tortuous, and often divided. 

 They are emitted from divers parts of the stem, always however where 



g2 



