552 MEDICINAL PLANTS. 



plants require little attention, and will soon occupy all the 

 space allotted. 



Gathering and Use. The leaves are the parts of the 

 plant used, and are generally cut in July and September. 

 They should not be exposed to the sun for drying, but 

 spread singly in an airy, shaded situation. They are 

 esteemed beneficial in colds and pulmonary disorders. 



ELECAMPANE. 



Inula helenium. 



A hardy, herbaceous, perennial plant, introduced from 

 Europe, but growing spontaneously in moist places, by road- 

 sides, and in the vicinity of gardens where it has been culti- 

 vated. Stem from three to five feet high, thick and strong, 

 branching towards the top ; the leaves are from nine inches 

 to a foot in length, ovate, toothed on the margin, downy 

 beneath ; the flowers are yellow, spreading, and resemble a 

 small sunflower ; the seeds are narrow, four-sided, and 

 crowned with down. 



The plants blossom in July and August, and there is but 

 one variety cultivated. 



Propagation and Culture. It is generally propagated by 

 dividing the roots, but may be grown from seeds, which are 

 sown just after ripening. The plants should be set in rows 

 two feet asunder, and a foot from each other in the rows. 



Use. Elecampane is cultivated for its roots, which are 

 carminative, sudorific, tonic, and alleviating in pulmonary 

 diseases. They are in their greatest perfection when of two 

 years' growth. 



