FAMILY HERBAL. 2i >3 



places, but kept in gardens also. The stalks are 

 numerous, and a foot or more in length, but they 

 do not stand upright : they are round, green, 

 and tough, and generally trail upon the ground. 

 The leaves are oblong, broad of a shining green 

 colour, smooth on the surface and placed two 

 at each joint. The flowers are large and blue : 

 they are bell-fashioned, and stand on long foot 

 stalks : the fruit succeeding. Each is composed 

 of two longish pods ; each containing several 

 seeds. 



The whole plant is used fresh. It is to be boil- 

 ed in water, and the decoction drank with a little 

 red wine in it. It stops the overflowing of the 

 menses, and the bleeding of the piles. 



Spelt, or St. Peter's Corn. Zen. 



A PLANT of the corn kind, resembling barley ; 

 sown in some parts of Europe, but not much 

 known in England. It grows a foot and a halt 

 high. The stalk is round, hollow, jointed, and 

 green ; the leaves are grassy, but broad. At the 

 tops of the stalk stands an ear like that of barley, 

 but smaller and thinner, though with long beards ; 

 the grain is not unlike barley in shape, or between 

 that and wheat, only much smaller than either. 



The seed or grain is the part, used ; it is supposed 

 to be strengthening and in some degree astringent, 

 but we know very little of its qualities, nor are 

 they considerable enough to encourage us to in* 

 quire after them. 



Pimpernel. Jittigallis Jlore rubro. 



A PRETTY little plant common in corn fields 

 and garden borders. The stalks are square, smooth, 

 green, but not very upright : they are five or si* 



