A C H 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



A C H 



53 



them during the winter ; and unless kept warm in summer 

 they will not flower, much less ripen fruit. The species are, 



1. Achania Malvaviscus; Scarlet Achania, or Bastard Hi- 

 biscus. Leaves somewhat scabrous, acuminate ; leaflets of 

 the outer calix erect. It flowers most part of the year ; 

 and is a native of Mexico and Jamaica. 



2. Achania Mollis ; Woolly Achania. Leaves tomentose ; 

 leaflets of the outer calix spreading. A native of South 

 America, and the West India Islands. 



3. Achania Pilosa ; Hairy Achania. Leaves hairy, ob- 

 tuse, and acute. The flowers are small, and the corolla 

 closed. It is a native of Jamaica. 



Achillea ; a genus of the class Syngenesia, order Poly- 

 gamia Superflua. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: common, 

 ovate, imbricate; scales ovate, acute, converging. Corolla: 

 compound radiate ; corollets hermaphrodite, tubular, in the 

 disk. Females ligulate, five to ten in the ray. Proper of 

 the hermaphrodite, funnel-shaped, five-cleft, spreading. Fe- 

 male obcordate, spreading, trifid ; the middle cleft less than 

 the others. Stamina : in the hermaphrodites ; filamenta five, 

 capillary, very short ; anther cylindrical, tubular. Pistil: 

 in the hermaphrodites ; germen small ; style filiform, the 

 length of the stamina ; stigma obtuse, emarginate. In the 

 females, germen small ; style filiform, the length of the 

 stamina ; stigmas two, obtuse, reflex. Pericarp : none. Ca- 

 lic : scarcely changed ; receptacle filiform, elongate, as the 

 disk of the seeds, ovate, twice the length of the calix. 

 Seed* : solitary, ovate, furnished with flocks, but having no 

 down. Receptacle: chaffy, elevated ; chaffs lanceolate, the 

 length of the florets. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix : ovate, 

 imbricate. Florets of the ray, about four. Down : none. 

 Receptacle: chaffy. Every species of this genus may be 

 propagated by parting the roots either in spring or autumn. 

 Many of them ripen their seeds, and may therefore be in- 

 creased that way, by sowing them in March or April, and 

 transplanting them at Michaelmas. They will flower the 

 summer following. Some also will grow from slips or cut- 

 tings, planted in a shady border in summer. They are in 

 general hardy, and need little care in the cultivation. Those 

 commonly seen in gardens are, the purple variety of Common 

 Milfoil, the double variety of common Sneezewort, called 

 Double Ptarmica, and Woolly Milfoil. Whatever merit the 

 Alpine sorts may possess as medicines, it cannot answer to 

 cultivate them with that view in gardens, for they owe their 

 efficacy to their peculiar situation : but they who are desirous 

 of having them for variety, will find that they are very hardy, 

 and will thrive almost in any soil, but that they love an open 



exposure. The species are, 



* With yellow Corollas. 



1. Achillea Santolina ; Lavender-Cotton-leaved Milfoil. 

 Leaves bristle- shaped, toothed; toothlets nearly entire, subu- 

 late, reflex. The leaves of this plant are like those of Laven- 

 der-cotton, which, when rubbed, emit a strong oily odour. 

 It flowers in June and July; and is an inhabitant of the Levant. 



2. Achillea Ageratum ; Sweet Milfoil, or Maudlin. I/eaves 

 lanceolate, obtuse, sharply serrate. This plant is a native of 

 Italy, anil Spain, by the road sides. It was brought into 

 England in 15/O, but being now seldom used in medicine, it 

 is not cultivated in the gardens for sale ; or if asked for, the 

 market people give the thirteenth species of this genus, 

 which is a hardier plant, and more easily propagated : for 

 though the Sweet Maudlin will bear cold well, yet wet winters 

 often kill the roots ingood ground ; although when the plants 

 grow out of the joints of a wall, or in rubbish, they will live 

 many years without care. It has a sweet smell, a bitter taste, 

 and is aromatic. Linneus calls it obsolete and superfluous. 



VOL. i. 5. 



Allione recommends it in all disorders of the nerves, and 

 prefers it before Tansy. Culpeper commends it as a diu- 

 retic, and says that the seeds, as well as an infusion of the 

 flowers in white wine, are excellent for the worms in child- 

 ren, when given in two ounces per dose. Meyrick and Hill 

 agree that " the whole plant has a pleasant smell, and may 

 be used either fresh or dried, but is most efficacious in its 

 recent state." A strong infusion of it, taken for a length of 

 time, is good in obstructions of the liver, and considerably 

 increases the discharge by urine. 



3. Achillea Falcata ; Sickle-leaved Milfoil. Leaves linear, 

 toothed, obtuse, flat ; toothlets crenate. This species is a 

 native of the East, and is there used in medicine. 



4. Achillea Tomentosa ; Woolly Milfoil. Leaves pinnate, 

 hirsute ; pinnas linear, toothed. This plant is about a foot 

 high, its whole flower is of a fine yellow colour, with apleasant 

 aromatic smell. It is often planted in gardens for the sake of 

 variety, as the flowers retain their beauty for a long time. It 

 grows naturally in Spain, the south of France, the Valais, 

 and Italy ; but bears the open air very well in England. 



5. Achillea Pubescens ; Downy Milfoil. Leaves pinnate ; 

 leaflets lanceolate, gash-serrate, wool-bearing beneath. 

 This plant is a native of the Levant. It has no chaffs tc 

 the receptacle, and in that respect differs from the generic 

 character. This and the following species are easily propa- 

 gated and cultivated both by roots and seeds : they are suffi- 

 ciently hardy to endure the open air, and when intermixed 

 with other plants, form a pleasing diversity by their hoary 

 leaves ; and as their flowers are of long continuance, they 

 produce an agreeable contrast, though not remarkable for 

 beauty in themselves. 



6. Achillea Abrotanifolia ; Southernwood-leaved Milfoil. 

 Leaves pinnate, super-decompound; divisions linear, distant. 

 It is a native of the Levant, and flowers in June and July. 



7. Achillea Bipinnata ; Bipinnate Milfoil. Leaves bipin- 

 nate, tomentose ; leaflets ovate, entire. Native of the Levant. 



8. Achillea ^Egyptiaca ; Egyptian Milfoil. Leaves pin- 

 nate; leaflets obtusely lanceolate, serrate-toothed. This 

 plant, which is also a native of the Levant, rises from nine 

 inches to a foot in height. It has finely-cut silvery leaves, 

 which remain all the year ; and the plant growing close and 

 low, makes a pretty appearance at all seasons. The flowers 

 are produced in corymbs on the top of the stalks, and ap- 

 pear from June to September, and some of them frequently 

 continue the greatest part of the winter. It rarely perfects 

 seeds in England, and is therefore propagated by slips. In 

 a dry soil and a warm situation, it will endure the cold of 

 our ordinary winters in the open air ; but being often de- 

 stroyed in very severe frosts, a few plants oughtto be sheltered 

 under a frame. 



** Corollas white in the ray. 



9. Achillea Macrophylla ; Feverfew-leaved Milfoil. Leaves 

 pinnate; pinnas gash -serrate, the outmost larger, and connect- 

 ed. It has many stalks which rise near three feet high, with 

 loose branching corymbs of white flowers, like those of the 

 common Sneezewort, which they also resemble in smell, but 

 are much pleasanter. It is a native of the Alps, very hardy, 

 thrives in almost any soil, but loves an open exposure ; flow- 

 ers in July and August, and deserves a place in gardens. 



10. Achillea Impatiens ; Impatient Milfoil. Leaves pin- 

 nate ; pinnas distant, linear lanceolate, acute from the base 

 upwards. This species is frequent throughout Siberia. 



11. Achillea Clavenn 5 Silver-leaved Milfoil. Leaves 

 jagged, flat, obtuse, tomentose. This plant scarcely rises six 

 inches in height ; its flowers are white, and grow in flat 

 corymbs, and appear in June and July. The leaves are 



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