152 FAMILY HERBAL. 



beauty, but not without its virtues. The root 

 creeps about the surface, like that of the common 

 flower cle luce. The leaves are a foot long-, nar- 

 row, and sharp-pointed, and of a strong and very 

 peculiar smell. The stalks are round, firm., up- 

 right, and of a bluish green. The flowers are like 

 those of the common flower de luce, but smaller, 

 and of a very dull colour. There is a little purple 

 in the upper part of the flower, and there are some 

 veins and streaks in the lower ; hut the rest is of a 

 dull dead hue, between grey and brown, and they 

 have a faint and had smell. 



The juice of the root promotes urine, and the 

 menses. The dried root, in powder or infusion, is 

 good against all hysteric disorders, faintings, and 

 pains. Outwardly, the fresh root is said to be an 

 excellent remedy for scrophulous swellings ; but this 

 we must take upon trust. 



Glasswort. Kali. 



A common wild plant, on the sea coasts of 

 many parts of Europe, but not a native of our 

 country. It is called cochleated kali, from the 

 form of its seed-vessels, which are twisted in the 

 manner of a snail's shell. It grows to a foot and a 

 half in height. , The stalk is round, thick, fleshy, 

 and brittle. The leaves are few, and they stand 

 irregularly ; they are oblong, and blunted at the 

 ends, and of a bluish green colour. The flowers 

 are small, inconsiderable, and yellow. 



The juice of the fresh plant is said to be an 

 excellent diuretic ; but we have no opportunities 

 of knowing its virtues here. Some say the seed- 

 vessels have the same virtue, and give them in in- 

 fusion, but we have better remedies of the same 

 kind, of our own growth. The whole plant it 



