ICOSANDRIA POLYGYNIA. 269 



By way -fides, and in low grounds, and places where 

 water has Hood in the winter, and in fandy foil 

 very common. V-. VII. 



The leaves confift of ten or twelve pair of oval- 

 lanceolate, and acutely-ferrated pim^, growino- 

 larger by degrees towards the end of the leaf, 

 and having fmaller ones intermixed between 

 them : the phm^ are hairy, and white under- 

 neath, fhining hke fatin : the flowers are yellow. 



It has an aftringent quality, but is rarely ufed in 

 medicine. 



The roots tafte like parfneps, and are frequently- 

 eaten by the common people in Scotland^ either 

 roaft or boiled. 



In the illands of Tirey and Col they are much 

 efteemed, as anfwering in fome meafure the pur- 

 pofcs of bread, they having been known to fup^ 

 port the inhabitants for months together, dur- 

 ing a fcarcity of other provifions. They put a 

 yoke on their ploughs, and often tear up their 

 pafture grounds, with a view to eradicate the 

 roots for their ufe ; and as they abound mod in 

 barren and impoverifh'd foils, and in feafons that 

 fucceed the worft for other crops, 16 they never 

 fail to afford a moft feafonable relief to the in- 

 habitants in times of the greateft fcarcity. A 

 fingular inftance this of the bounty of provi- 

 dence to thefe iflands ! 



Cattle rcje<5l the leaves of this plant, but fwine are 

 fond of the roots. 



** Foliis digitalis. 



POTENTILLA 



