140 FAMILY HERBAL. 



Fleabane. Conyza. 



x\ rREmr wild plant, frequent about damp places, 

 with whitish leaves and large yellow flowers in 

 airtiam. it is two feet high. The stalk is round 

 an.l erect, very firm and stron?;, and is often of a 

 m-.uu'h colour. The leaves are mi , . rous, and stand 

 irregimri > they are above an inch ', lg, moderately 

 bro -,:'. i-' l: rough surface, and whitish green. The 

 fiowcrs aland at the top of the branches ; they art* 

 broader thai; a sliiihng, yellow, and composed of 

 many narrow petals. The whole plant has a 

 d i sa grcea ble sine 1 1 . 



ii is disputed whether this kind of fleabane, or 

 another which is smaller, and has globous llowers, 

 live the greater virtue ; hut most give it for this. 

 The juice of the whole plant cures the itch, applied 

 externally ; and the very smell of the herb is said to 

 destroy fleas. 



Fleawort. Psylliu m . 



An herb of uo great beauty, native of France, 

 but kept in gardens here. It has narrow leaves, 

 and inconsiderable flowers. It is a foot high. 

 The stalks are weak, greenish, and a little hairy. 

 The leaves stand two or more at every joint, for 

 that is uncertain ; they are long, very narrow, and 

 also somewhat hairy : there ii.se from the bosoms 

 of these leave?, long naked stalks, on which stand 

 a kind of spikes of little flowers, somewhat like 

 the :-pikes of plantain, only shorter; two seeds 

 Fucceed each tlowei ; and they are smooth, black- 

 i>r. and of the shape of fleas ; whence the name. 

 r \ here . re many flowers in each head. S mucilage 

 is made oi the seeds to cool the throat in fevers. 



