226 FAMILY HERBAL. 



and against heat of urine ; it is also a little astringent. 

 The grain is eaten also as barley. 



5 IilkworTj Polggala. 



A common little plant upon our heaths, and 

 m dry pastures, with numerous leaves and blue or 

 white ilowers, (for this is a variety and caused by 

 accidents, ) disposed in loose spikes. The root is 

 long, and divided into several parts, the stalks are 

 very numerous, and very much branched, they are 

 slender and weak, and they spread themselves upon 

 the ground, forming a little green tuft. There is 

 great variety in the appearance of the plant, beside 

 what has been already named in the colour of the 

 flower ; nor is that indeed the only variation there : 

 so that it has been divided into two or three kinds 

 by some writers, but as all these will rise from the 

 same seed, and only ate owing to the soil and 

 exposure, the plant is without doubt the same in 

 every appearance, and iis virtues are Hie same 

 in which ever state ;t is taken. When it grows 

 in barren places, the stalk* arc not more than three 

 or four inches in length, and the leaves are very 

 numerous, short, and of an ova! figure. The I low- 

 ers are in this case small and blue, sometimes 

 whitish, striated with blue, and sometimes in- 

 tirely white. When the plant grows in some- 

 what more favourable soil, the leaves are oblong, 

 and narrow, pointed at the ends, and of a beautiful 

 green, the stalks are five or six indies long, and 

 the Hovel's in this case are comnwnh blue, and 

 this is tin- most ordinary -tate of the plant. When 

 .' grou*i in very favourable plaees, as upon the 

 damp ~.:'.!e of a hill, where there are springs, and 

 among ?i)i> tall grass, then its leaves are humor, its 

 'iilkfc )> ur robust and more anr'eht, and i.!s flowers 



