SYNQENKSiA : POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA. 



we thought it deferved a place in this coUedion. 



if.v. vi. 



The root is thick, jointed, creeping, and barbed 

 with many fibres : the llaik is two or three feet 

 high, hairy, furrow'd, and divided towards the 

 top into three or four branches, each terminated 

 with one large yellow radiated flower : the leaves 

 are rather foft and ha.ry, the radical ones 

 obtufely heart- Ih aped, and fupported on foot- 

 ilalks; thofe on the ftalk but few in number, 

 embracing it at their bale, and of a long oval 

 • form : the fcales of the calyx are about 26 in 

 number, compofed of a double feries, are nar- 

 row, lanceolate, and as long as the rays of the 

 flower : the female florets which compoie the 

 rays are ftreak'd with green lines, and about 22 

 in number : the hermaphrodite ones'tif the difc 

 are about 178: the feeds of the rays are nearly 

 triangular, ftreaked with ten lines, and are del- 

 titute of down : thofe of the difc are roundifh, 

 hairy, and crowned with a down, which is 

 ilightly plumofe : the receptacle is convex and 

 hairy. From the burfl:ing of the Anthers to 

 the ripening of the {tt^i. takes up the fpace of 

 one month. 



Many writers have fuppofed tlie root to be poifon- 

 ous, and tiiat it would deftroy wolves, dogs, 

 and other animals. ' Others have reckoned it an 

 antidote to poifon ; but the prefent praflicc rc- 

 ie<5lsit. - 



BELLIS. 



