!332 FAMILY HERBAL. 



was given as a purge, but at present none regard 

 it. There are also four others of the same kind, 

 the names of which we see in books of medicine, 

 but the fruits are not to be met with, nor is it 

 much loss, for we have better tilings to anr.wer 

 their purposes. They were called the citrine, 

 chebule, belleric, andemblec mvrobalanus ; they are 

 all used as purges, but common senna is worth 

 them all. 



Moonwort. Lunaria. 



A very singular, and very pretty plant, fre- 

 quent in some parts of the kingdom, but in most 

 very scarce. It grows six inches high ; and con- 

 sists of the stalk, one leaf, and t\\o flowers. The 

 stalk is round, firm, and (.hick. It is naked to the 

 middle, and there grows the leaf, which is composed 

 as it were of several pairs of small ones, or rather 

 is a whole and single leaf divided deeply, so as 

 to resemble a number of smaller ; thes are round- 

 ed and hollowed, and thence, came its name of 

 moonwort ; from the base of this leaf, the stalk 

 is continued up an inch or two. and then rise the clua- 

 ters of flowers and seeds ; these are very small, and 

 like dust, and of a brown colour. The leaves of moon- 

 wort dried and given in powder, stop purgings, and 

 the overflowing of the menses. The fresh plant 

 bruised andjaid to a cut, slops the bleeding, and heals 

 it in a day or two. 



Hairy Tree Moss. Uanea. 



A. very singular plant of the moss kind, fre- 

 quent in our lai'ive forests, but rare elsewhere : 

 it grows to the branches of old oaks and bushes, 

 and hangs down from them in long strings The 



