186 FAMILY HERBAL. 



walla in some parts of England It is eight inches 

 high, and is distinguished at sight by a cluster of 

 round leaves which grow about the stalk. The 

 root is roundish, and its fibres grow from the bottom. 

 The leaves stand on longish and thick foot-stalks, 

 which are, except in the lowest of all, inserted not 

 at the edges of the leaf 5 but in the middle : these 

 are round, thick, fleshy, and indented about the 

 edges. The stalk which bears the flowers is round, 

 thick, a*nd, towards the top, divided into two or three 

 branches ; on these grow the flowers, in a kind of 

 spikes : they are oblong, hollowish, and of a green- 

 ish white colour. 



The leaves are the part used. Externally, they 

 are cooling, and good against pains. They are 

 applied bruised to the piles, with great success. 

 The juice of them, taken inwardly, operates Jry 

 urine, and is excellent against stranguries, and good 

 in the gravel, and inflammations of the liver and 

 spleen. 



Knap-weed. Jacca. 



A very common wild plant, with dark-coloured 

 longish leaves, and purple flowers, like those of 

 thistles. It is two feet high. The stalks are 

 roundish, but ribbed : they are of a pale colour, 

 very firm and strong, upright, and divided into 

 branches. The leaves are long, and of the same 

 breadth : those winch grow immediately from the 

 root, are but little jagged or cut at the edges : 

 those which stand upon the stalk, are more so. 

 The flowers are large ; they stand in scaly heads, 

 one of which is placed at the top of every branch : 

 and at a distance, they have something of the ap- 

 pearance of the flowers of thistles, but when ex- 

 lunined nearer, they are more like these of the blue 



