FAMILY HERBAL. 295 



These flowers are used by the dyers in some 

 parts of Europe. The seed is the part taken into 

 the shops : it is longish, covered, and white with 

 a hard covering ; it is to be given in infusion, 

 which works both by vomit and stool, but not 

 violently. It is good against rheumatisms and the 

 jaundice. 



Sagapenum Plant, Sagapenum. 



A large plant, native of Persia in the East 

 Indies, and described but imperfectly to us ; how- 

 ever, so that we have confirmation that the descrip- 

 tion is authentic, if not so finished in all its parts 

 as we could wish. It grows upon the mountains,, 

 and is eight feet high ; the leaves are very large, 

 and are composed of a great multitude of little 

 parts, which are fixed to a divided rib, and are 

 of a bluish green colour, and when bruised, of a 

 strong smell. The stalk is thick, striated, round, 

 hollow, and upright, purplish towards the bottom, 

 but green upwards. The leaves which stand on 

 it are like those which rise from the root, only 

 smaller. The flowers are little and yellowish ; 

 they stand in very large umbels at the tops of the 

 stalks, and each of them is succeeded by two 

 seeds ; these are flat, large, brown, and striated. 

 The root is long, thick, of a yellowish colour, and 

 of a disagreeable smell. This is the account we 

 have from those who have been of late in the 

 East : and there is a great : _ deal to confirm it. We 

 find among resin which is brought over to us, 

 pieces of the stalk and many seeds of the plant : 

 these agree with the description. I procured some 

 of the seeds picked out of some sagapenum, by 

 young Mr. Sisson, to be sowed with all proper 

 tare at the lord Petre's, whose principal gardener 



