-*> 



ner, adds, " So near was the Doctor to the true origin of this 

 word that he would not see it; for aculcus is, undoubtedly, 

 derived from (the Greek word) ax*, or X >(, (in Latin,) acies 

 (the sharp edge, or point of any thing,) whence a cus (a nee- 

 dle,) acutus (sharp) aculeus (a prickle) sharp pointed, like a 

 needle: the Sweet Briar, therefore, seems to have received its 

 name of Eglantine, from, the sharpness of its thorns." 



Rubiginosa, one of its meanings is florid. 



The common Sweet Briar Rose, or Eglantine, has flow- 

 ers of a sweet scent, and a full and uniform pink colour: oc- 

 casionally double, and sometimes pale, or whitish. The stem 

 branched, about a yard high, with copious, broad, strongly 

 hooked prickles, of a pale brown, all over its green branches. 

 Leaflets five or seven, of a roundish, elliptical figure, with 

 strong, double, glandular serratures; their upper surface 

 bright green, slightly hairy; the under, clothed with reddish 

 viscid glands, and delightfully fragrant. Fruit, scarlet, inter- 

 nally mealy and insipid. 



There is a small-flowered Sweet Briar, R. Micrantha, 

 with paler flowers, and smaller, the least of all the British 

 Roses, that is sometimes mistaken for the JR. Rubiginosa. 



Poetry is full of the fragrance of the Eglantine. 



Come, gentle air, 



And with the jasmine's breath divine, 



Convey the woodbine's rich perfume, 



Nor spare the sweet-leafed eglantine. Smith. 



No, nor the leaf of Eglantine, whom not to slander, 

 Out-sweeten'd not thy breath. Shaks. 



And the fresh eglantine exhaled a breath, 

 Whose odours were of power to raise from death. 



Dryden's Chaucer. 



ELDER. 



Sambucus nigra. 



Sambucus, L. from the Greek <r/j/3ox, an instrument of 

 music, in the construction of which, this tree is used, on ac- 

 count of its hardness; so says De Theis. 



(See Rees' Encyclopedia .) 



Elder, E., German holder, or hohlunder. It seems to 

 be named from hollowness. Webster. 



The common Elder, S. Nigra, is a low bushy tree or 

 shrub, with smooth pithy branches. Leaves opposite, une- 

 qual, pinnate; leaflets generally five, smooth. Stipules, 

 scarcely any. Cymes, terminal, in five principal branches, 

 many flowered. Flowers, milk-white, fragrant, generally 

 stalked. Stamens divaricated. Berries globular , dark pur- 

 ple, sweetish, but unpleasant in the crude state. This tree 

 is, as it were, a whole magazine of physic to rustic practition- 

 ers. The inner bark, flowers, leaves, berries, all have their 

 peculiar medicinal virtues. 



The Sambucus niger, very abundant in the United 

 States. 



EVERLASTING. 



Gnaphalium. 



Gnaphalium, L. from the Greek yva$;uov, an ancient 

 Greek name; from yvap^ov, soft down or wool, alluding to 

 the wooliness of the herbage. 



The Latins called it Gnaphalium, from the downy or 

 cottony nature of the leaves or stalks, which they collected 

 to fill their couches and matresses, instead of wool or flocks. 

 Pliny tells us that it was also called Chamcezelon, which sig- 

 nifies low or ground cotton; and it was sometimes named JLl- 

 binum, from the whiteness of the leaves and stalks. 



The American Everlasting, or Eternal Flower, G. mar- 

 garitaceum, has white flowers. It also grows wild, in Wales, 

 and is there used to adorn the graves of the departed ; elegant- 

 ly alluding to immortality, by the unfading nature of its flow- 

 ers, and to spotless purity by their snowy whiteness. 



The Everlasting flower which the French call Immor- 

 telle, the G. orientate is in such demand in Paris, ever since 

 the hill of Pere la Chaise has been converted into a ceme- 

 tery, for that city, as not only to give employment to many 

 hands in its cultivation, but numerous families are regularly 

 occupied, and entirely supported by forming these flowers 

 into garlands and crosses, which are offered for sale near the 

 entrance of burial grounds. 



It is stated to be a native of Africa, therefore improperly 

 called G. orientate. Gerard styles it Golden Mother Wort, 

 or cud-weed. And he describes the flowers as standing "on 

 the top of the stalkes ioined togither in tuftes of a yellow 

 colour, glittering like gold, in forme resembling the scalie 

 flowers of Tansie." 



The ancients crowned the images of their gods with gar- 

 lands made of these flowers, and, hence, they were frequently 

 called God's flowers. In Spain, and Portugal, they are still 

 used to decorate the altars, and images of saints. 



As an ornament for the saloon, or head dress, the G. 

 orientate is, in modern times, frequently dyed of various 

 colours. 



The general character of the flowers- of this genus, is, 

 a common Calyx, imbricated, its inner scales rounded, sca- 

 riose, coloured. Corolla compound; florets of the disk, fun- 

 nel-shaped, in five equal reflexed marginal segments. Re- 

 ceptacle, naked. 



FEVER ROOT. 

 Eupatorium. 



Eupatorium, from Mithridates, surnamed Eupator, 

 who is reported to have brought this plant into use, as a 

 counter poison. He was the seventh king of that name who 

 reigned over the province of Pontus in Asia Minor. His am- 

 bition and cruelty raised up many enemies; and his habit 

 was, by drinking antidotes against poison, to fortify his con- 

 stitution against their attempts to destroy him. 



Eupatorium, is a large genus chiefly, though not entire- 

 ly, American. Roots perennial. Stems sometimes shrubby. 

 Leaves opposite, mostly simple, and strongly serrated. Flow- 

 ers corymbose, terminal, numerous, white, bluish, or reddish. 

 Whole plant, roughish, bitter, or aromatic. 



Several of the American species are esteemed, on ac- 

 count of their aromatic and bitter qualities. Among these are 

 E. Sessitifolium, E. Perfoliatum, and E. Jlromaticum. 



BALM OF GILEAD FIR. 



Pinus Balsamea. 

 (For Pinus, see Pine.) 

 Pinus balsamea, is a native of Canada, Nova Scotia, 



