FAMILY HERBAL. \29 



variegated flowers. It grows six or eight inches 

 high. The stalks are round, thick,, firm, and very 

 hard ; the leaves are flat, broad, and very deeply 

 indented at the edges ; and they are of a bright 

 shining green. The flowers are little, and they are 

 very bright ; their ground colour is white, and they 

 are streaked and spotted with black and some other 

 dark colours. 



This plant has been always famous for dimness 

 of sight, but whether experience warrants the 

 character that is given of it is uncertain. Thejuic* 

 is very diuretic. 



F 



Fennel. Fceniculum.^ 



A common garden plant, kept for its use in 

 the kitchen, rather than its medicinal virtues. 

 It grows six or eight feet high. The stalk is 

 round, hollow, and of a deep green colour ; the 

 leaves are large, and divided into a vast num- 

 ber of fine slender segments, and they are also of 

 a deep or bluish green colour. The flowers stand 

 at the tops of the branches, and are small and 

 yellow ; but there grow large clusters of them to- 

 gether ; the seed is small, dark coloured, and striated, 

 and is. of a sharp acrid taste ; the root is long and 

 white. 



The root is the part most used ; a decoction 

 made of it with common water, and given in large 

 quantities, works by urine, and is good against the 

 gravel and in the jaundice. 



Sweet Fennel. Fceniculum dulce. 



A garden plant very like the common kifid, 







