54 



A C H 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL ; 



A C H 



very hoary, something like those of the common Wormwood, 

 growing close to the ground, and decaying in autumn. It 

 is a native of the Alps of Switzerland, Austria, Pannonia, 

 and Carinthia. As it never perfects its seeds in England, it 

 is propagated by slips ; which should be planted in a dry 

 soil, because much wet in winter will cause it to rot. 



12. Achillea Ptarmica ; Sneezewort Milfoil. Leaves lan- 

 ceolate, acuminate, finely serrate. It is found wild in all 

 the temperate parts of Europe, and in England in meadows, 

 by the sides of ditches, on the balks of corn-fields, in moist 

 woods and shady places. It grows two feet high, has 

 daisy-like flowers, and narrow dentated leaves, from the 

 form of which it is sometimes called Goose-tongue. The 

 roots have a biting acrid taste, and so likewise have the young 

 leaves ; these, powdered, and snuffed up the nose, excite 

 sneezing, and are excellent in inveterate head-aches. A piece 

 of the dried root held in the mouth soon fills it with rheum, 

 and removes the tooth-ache, in the same manner as Pelli- 

 tory of Spain. The young tops are pleasant in the spring, 

 when they are eaten as a salad, and reckoned wholesome. In 

 Siberia a decoction of the whole herb is said to be used with 



'success in internal hemorrhages. When planted in pots so 

 as to confine the roots from creeping, the stalks will grow 

 closer together, and then it makes a tolerable appearance 

 when flowering, which takes place in July and August. 



13. Achillea Alpina ; 4lpine Milfoil. Leaves lanceolate, 

 tooth-serrate, toothlets very finely serrate. It is very nearly 

 allied to the preceding species, which it somewhat resem- 

 bles, but it has longer leaves, more deeply cut on their 

 edges, and of a darker green. It is very hardy, and a na- 

 tive of Switzerland, Savoy, and Siberia. 



14. Achillea Serrata; Notcli-leaved Milfoil. Leaves linear- 

 lanceolate, sessile, tomentose, deeply serrate, jagged at the 

 base. The flowers esemble those of Sneezewort : they 

 appear in August and September. 



15. Achillea Cristata ; Slender-branched Milfoil. Leaves 

 linear, serrate ; serratures transverse crested ; stem branch- 

 ed, weak. It is a native of the East ; and flowers here in 

 July and August. 



16. Achillea Atrata ; Camomile-leaved, or Black Milfoil. 

 Pinnules comb-like, almost entire ; peduncles villous. This 

 plant is found on the mountains of Switzerland, the Valais, 

 and Austria. It was introduced by Drs. Pitcairn and Fother- 

 gill in 1774, but will not admit of cultivation, nor can be 

 reconciled to a garden, whatever pains you take with it. 



17. Achillea Moschata ; Musk Milfoil, or Swiss Genipi. 

 Leaves pinnate, dotted ; pinnas remote, linear subulate, al- 

 most entire, rays thelength of the calix. This can only be dis- 

 tinguished from the preceding species by its aromatic smell. 

 It is the true Genipi of the Swiss, though called Genipi bdtard 

 in Savoy. This plant promises to be of essential efficacy 

 in disorders arising from a debility of the solids ; it is an ex- 

 cellent sudorific, though hot, and frequently injurious in the 

 pleurisy when the fever is high ; and it is also a grateful 

 food to all sorts of cattle. Hill says, " the seed is the only 

 part used, and that very rarely." It is said to be good 

 against the head-ache, but we seldom meet with it fresh 

 enough to have any virtue. It is found wild in Switzerland, 

 on the high Alps, and in Savoy, Piedmont, and Austria. 



18. Achillea Nana ; Dwarf Milfoil. Leaves pinnate, tooth- 

 ed, extremely hirsute ; flowers glomcrate-umbelled. It is 

 a very small plant, and has a fainter smell than the preced- 

 ing species, for which it is often sold. It grows on the high 

 Alps of Switzerland, the Valais, and Savoy ; and Allione 

 observes, that the higher and colder the situation in which it 

 is found, the thicker is the tomentum or flock which covers 



it. It is hardy, will thrive with us in almost any soil, and 

 deserves a place in gardens. 



19. Achillea Magna ; Great Milfoil, or Yarrow. Leaves 

 bipinnate, rather hairy, the divisions linear and toothed ; 

 earlets decussated. It is a native of Italy, hardy, and re- 

 quires little culture. 



20. Achillea Millefolium ; Common Milfoil, or Yarrow. 

 Leaves bipinnate-naked; divisions linear-toothed ; stems fur- 

 rowed towards the top. This plant has been generally exe- 

 crated as a noxous weed in pastures : sheep, however, are 

 found to eat it ; and Anderson has even recommended it for 

 cultivation. It is frequently found in our meadows, pastures, 

 and by road-sides ; flowering in June, and the following 

 summer months, until September. It creeps greatly by its 

 roots, and multiplies by seeds, so that it is a troublesome 

 weed in gardens. There is a variety with purple flowers, 

 which are apt to lose their colour by cultivation. The whole 

 plant is used fresh-gathered, but the best part is the tops 

 of the shoots ; these are to be boiled in water, and the de- 

 coction sweetened with fine sugar : though generally neg- 

 lected, it is an excellent medicine in the overflowing of the 

 menses, bloody fluxes, and bleeding of the piles. It in- 

 creases the urinary discharges, and removes ulcers of the 

 kidneys or urethra. Sir John Hill says, " the best way of 

 taking it, is in strong decoctions of the whole plant." Lin- 

 neus recommends the bruised herb fresh, as an excellent 

 vulnerary and styptic, and many foreign physicians still 

 esteem it in hemorrhages. An ointment is made of it for 

 the piles, and it is reckoned good against the scab in sheep. 

 An essential oil is extracted from the flowers, but the plant 

 is excluded from the present medical practice. 



21. Achillea Nobilis ; Noble Milfoil. Leaves bipinnate ; 

 the lower one naked, flat ; the upper obtuse, tomentose ; 

 the .flowers in convex and very crowded corymbs. This 

 strongly resembles the Common Milfoil, but its leaves are 

 not so long or so much cut, they have a pale green colour, 

 and a strong sweet scent when bruised. This scent, as well 

 as its other qualities, are stronger than those of the pre- 

 ceding species. It is a native of Italy, Germany, Switzer- 

 land, Narbonne, and Tartary. 



22. Achillea Odorata ; Scented Milfoil. Leaves bipinnate, 

 oval, almost naked ; corymbs fastigiate, crowded. Its stem 

 is scarcely a palm in height : it is a native of Spain, Nar- 

 bonne, Switzerland, &c. 



23. Achillea Cretica ; Cretan Milfoil. Leaves linear ; pin- 

 nas roundish, imbricate backwards Astern tomentose. It 

 is, as its name imports, a native of the island of Crete. 



24. Achillea Squarrosa ; Rough- headed Milfoil. Leaves 

 lanceolate-linear, pinnatifid ; pinnas ovate, wedge-shaped, 

 gash acuminate, vertical ; stem somewhat villose. It was 

 introduced into England in the year 1755. 



25. Achillea Herbarota; Herbarota Milfoil. Leaves wedge- 

 shaped, entire, toothed at the top. The whole plant is green, 

 and has a strong smell, like Maudlin. It is in general esteem 

 among the peasants of the Alps, and is recommended as i\ 

 sudorific, against worms, flatulencies, and intermittent fevers. 



26. Achillea Ligustica ; Marjoram-scented Milfoil. Leaves 

 pinnate ; pinnas sharply-toothed, flat, smooth. The stems 

 are eighteen inches high, the leaves rather thick and juicy ; 

 and, like the preceding species, it has a very strong smell, 

 like Maudlin. 



27. Achillea Tanacetifolia ; Tansy-leaved Milfoil. Leaves 

 pinnate; pinnas laciniate, flat, gashed, and entire : the stem 

 of this plant is eighteen inches high. It is a native of the 

 Orisons, and not uncommon in the pastures and valleys of 

 the Alps. 



