SYNGENESIA : POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA. 49? 



The ftalk is eredt, a foot high, branched, and um- 

 belliferous at the top : the leaves are either quite 

 fmOoth, or (lightly hairy, very long, and finely 

 divided ; compounded firfl of 20 or 25 pair of 

 {\-\ort pinnae, each of which is fubdivlded into 

 three or even fevcn pair of pinnule, which are 

 again cut into triSd or quinquefid lanceolate 

 fegments, all of them dotted and retxulated ; 

 the fcales of the calyx are green, with pale brown 

 margins: the flowcTS are fmall and numerous: 

 the difc is either of a pale yellow colour or red : 

 the rays are only four or five, very Ihort and 

 plain, not above half the length. of the calyx, 

 and either white or red : the feed is oblong, 

 comprefs'd, and has a white margin. 



The pknt has an aftringent quality, and is reckon'd 

 good to flop all kinds of hoemorrhagies, and to 

 heal wounds, but is out of ufe in the prefent 

 pradice. The highlanders fiill continue to make 

 an ointment of it to heal and dry up wounds. 

 The conlmon people, in order to cure the head- 

 ach, do fometimes thruft a leaf of it up their 

 noftrils, to make their nofe bleed ; an old prac- 

 tice, which gave rife to one of its Eng/^Jh names. 



Linn^us informs us, that the inhabitants of Bale- 

 karlia^ in Sweden^ mix it with their ale inftead 

 of hops, and that it gives the liquor an intoxi- 

 cating quality. 



Cattle do not refufe to eat It. 



K k POLY 



