CLARY 49 



anther-stalks jointed with the slender swollen connective which carries 

 one perfect, one immature anther-cell. There is a large anterior honey- 

 gland. The style is ascending, swollen, and trifid. A bee inserting 

 its head in the mouth of the flower touches the inner end of the anther, 

 and raising it acts as a lever and causes the outer to rub its back with 

 pollen as the stamens stand across the mouth of the flower. 



The flower is proterandrous, the anthers ripening first. The style 

 bends down and the stigma is brought within touch of insect visitors. 

 Cleistogamic flowers also occur. 



The 3-angled nutlets fall out around the parent plant when ripe, 

 and are aided by the wind in dispersal. 



Being a lime-loving plant, Clary grows on lime soil, or is a rock 

 plant on rock soil. 



A mould fungus, or Peronospora lamii, attacks it. 



Salvia, Pliny, is from the Latin for sage, from salvus, safe; Ver- 

 benaca is from Verbena, because it is like verbena in habit. 



Clary is also called Christ's Eye, Wild Clary, Clear-eye, Wild Clear- 

 eye, Eyeseeds, Oculus-Christi. The first name was given because it 

 cures (so it was believed) diseases of the eye. Eyeseeds was a name 

 given because it was "A plant whose seeds if blown into the eye 

 are said to remove bits of dust, cinders, or insects that may be lodged 

 there ". 



Gerarde says: "The seede put whole into the eyes clenseth and 

 purgeth them exceedingly from waterish humours, rednesse, inflama- 

 tion, and divers other maladies or all that happen unto the eies, and 

 taketh away the paine and smarting thereof, especially being put into 

 the eies one seede at a time, and no more, which is a general medicine, 

 in Cheshire and other Counties there about knowne of all, and used 

 with good successe". When bruised it is strong-smelling and un- 

 pleasant. It is very aromatic. The eye salve is prepared from a 

 mucilage. 



ESSENTIAL SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: 



252. Salvia Verbenaca, L. Stem erect, upper leaves cordate, ses- 

 sile, radical, petioled, sinuous, crenate, wrinkled, flowers small purple, 

 in terminal whorled spikes, 6, tube of corolla equal to calyx, with 2 acute 

 bracts below. 



VOL. IV. 50 



