SEASIDE BINDWEED 197 



Centaury is a sancl plant, and grows in sand soil on heaths and 

 bare ground. 



Centaury is a food plant for Pterophorus hceuri. 



Centaurium, Dioscorides, is from the Latin, Centaur, Chiron the 

 Centaur being reputed to have discovered its medicinal properties. 

 The second Latin name refers to the umbellate head. 



This plant is called Banwort, Bitter Herb, Bloodwort, Centaury, 

 Little Centaury, Century, Christ's Ladder, Earth-gall, Feltrike, Fever- 

 few, Mountain Flax, Gall-of- the- Earth, Gentian, Hurd-reve, Sanctuary. 

 On the shores of the Moray Firth it is called Gentian, where an 

 infusion is drunk as a tonic. 



People used to burn it to expel serpents. An infusion was used to 

 remove freckles. The plant contains a bitter principle like Gentian. 

 It has been used as a tonic and febrifuge, and is a good stomachic. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



209. Centaurium umbellatum, Gilib. Stem erect, quadrangular, 

 branched above, leaves ovate, upper acute, flowers pink, sub-sessile, in 

 corymbose cyme, calyx less than corolla, lobes of latter oval. 



Seaside Bindweed (Calystegia Soldanella, Br.) 



This plant is not found in any ancient deposits. In the North 

 Temperate Zone to-day it is found in Europe, South of Belgium, 

 N. Africa, W. Asia, and the S. Temperate regions. In Britain it is 

 found around the entire coast, except in E. Sussex, Denbigh, S. Lines, 

 Northumberland, Berwick, Fife, as far as Islay, but on the west 

 to the southward, and in the Hebrides. It is native in Ireland and 

 the Channel Islands. 



The Seaside Bindweed is a strictly maritime plant, a salt-lover, and 

 dry-soil type, growing on sandy coasts, where it obtains plenty of salt, 

 and where dry conditions are ensured. It is associated with Sea Kale, 

 Sea Rocket, Sea Milkwort, Samphire, and numerous other sand-loving 

 marine plants. 



This seaside species differs from other bindweeds in not having 

 a climbing but a trailing stem. Its stem is prostrate, then ascending, 

 short, slender, and only rarely twining. The leaves are kidney-shaped 

 or heart-shaped, fleshy, with rounded lobes. The stems are often 

 much below the surface in the sand. 



The flowers are flesh-coloured, borne on i -flowered flower-stalks, 

 square, with membranous angles. The bracts or leaflike organs are 

 less than the calyx, and egg-shaped. The flowers are large, axillary, 



