A G A 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL: 



A G A 



in woods and dry hilly pastures, is sometimes exposed to sale 

 in Covent Garden market. It may be easily distinguished 

 from the genuine sort by the sponginess of its flesh, and 

 from all others by its tallness, bulbous base, and large volva 

 or ruffle, and the scaly texture of its spongy cap. 



Aguricus Caesareus, or Imperial Agaric, is the most splen- 

 did of all the species. It is common in Italy, where it is 

 exposed in the markets for sale. The ancient Romans es- 

 teemed it one of the greatest luxuries ; and Juvenal and 

 Martial have celebrated it as the vehicle whereby Claudius 

 Caesar was poisoned by his wife Agrippina. It was first 

 found wild in this country in the year 1791. 



Agaricus Orcades ; a small pale-brown, or rather buff- 

 coloured mushroom, very frequent in dry pastures, and par- 

 ticularly in fairy rings; which Dr. Withering is satisfied are 

 entirely produced by their growth. It is found in woods 

 and hedges, but is then inferior in flavour. Those from dry 

 pastures are the best, have a pleasant smell, and a most lus- 

 cious flavour, either stewed alone, or in hashes and ragouts. 

 They make excellent Catchup, and are admirable in the form 

 of a powder. The cap is of a pale brown buff colour ; and 

 the stem solid and white, an inch and half high, and about 

 the thickness of a crow-quill. It is in season during Sep- 

 tember and October, but may be so dried as to be in use for 

 the table all the winter. They should be gathered young, 

 and early in the morning. 



Agathopyllum ; a genus of the class Dodecandria, order 

 Monogynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth very 

 small, truncate, entire, permanent. Corolla: petals six, 

 ovate, somewhat villose within, inserted into the calix. Sta- 

 mina : filaments twelve, broadish, very short, alternately 

 placed at the base of the petals, and alternately on the calix ; 

 anthers; roundish. Pistil: germ superior, very small; style 

 very short; stigma pubescent. Pericarp: drupe somewhat 

 globose, crowned with the calix. Seed : nut somewhat glo- 

 bose, terminated by a truncate point, half six-celled kernel 

 convex, beneath six-lobed, with coriaceous partitions sepa- 

 rating the lobes. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix.- superior, 

 very short, toothless. Corolla: six-petalled, somewhat vil- 

 lose. Stamina : alternately inserted into the calix and petals. 

 Drupe-, juiceless, with a half six-celled nut, and one seed. 

 The only species known is, 



1. Agathopyllum Aromat icnm. This is a large bushy tree, 

 with a pyramidical head like the Clove-tree, and a reddish 

 odorous bark ; the wood is hard, heavy, white, with some 

 reddish fibres, and has no smell. Its fruit, which is the size 

 of a large cherry, is shaped like a pear; it consists of a nut 

 dividedinto six parts, as a walnut is divided into four, covered 

 with a hard coriaceous shell, and that with a green thin bark 

 very closely adhering to it, both of which are aromatic; but 

 the nut has an acrid biting taste, which is almost caustic. 

 The tree bears at five or six years of age, flowers in. January 

 and February, and is ten months in ripening its fruit. The 

 natives of Madagascar, who call it raventsnrn, gather it be- 

 fore it is ripe, as a spice for the purpose of seasoning their 

 meat. When fresh, it has a fine aromatic smell ; and the 

 i-austic taste may be diminished by keeping it some months, 

 then throwing it into boiling water for four or five minutes, 

 ;ind afterwards drying it in the sun. The leaves may be 

 prepared as a spice in the same manner. 



Agdne ; a genus of the class Hexandria, order Monogynia. 

 GF.XKKIC CHARACTER. Culii : none. Corolla .- one-petallrd, 

 funnel-shaped; border six-parted, equal ; parts lanceolate 

 erect. Stumina : filaments filiform, erect, longer than tin- 

 corolla; antherae linear, shorter than the filaments, versa- 

 tile. Pistil: germ oblong, growing thinner towards both 



ends, inferior ; style, filiform, the length of the stamina, three- 

 cornered; stigma-headed. Pericarp: capsule oblong, three- 

 cornered, three-celled, three-valved. Seeds.- numerous. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Corolla : erect, superior. Filaments : 



longer than the corolla, erect. The species are, 



1. Agave Americana; Common American Agave. Stem- 

 less ; leaves tooth-thorny. When vigorous the stems gene- 

 rally rise twenty feet high, and branch out so as to form a 

 kind of pyramid, composed of greenish-yellow flowers, 

 which stand erect, and come out in thick clusters at every 

 joint. This plant has been' long known in England, where 

 it will flower in gardens, but not ripen seed. When they 

 flower they make a fine appearance, and continue a long 

 time in beauty; and if protected from the cold in autumn, 

 will continue to flower for three months in favourable sea- 

 sons. It has been erroneously said, not to flower nntil it is 

 an hundred years old ; but this is a mistake, as it flowers in 

 a few years in warm countries, but in colder climates, where 

 the growth is slow, it will be much longer before it shoots 

 up a stem. In Portugal and Spain there are hedges of this 

 plant : it also flourishes about Naples, and in other parts of 

 Italy. The leaves are very useful as a succedaneum for 

 soap ; they are cut and passed (points foremost) between 

 the rollers of a mill, the expressed juice being conducted 

 into wide shallow receivers through a coarse cloth or 

 strainer ; it is then placed in a hot sun until reduced to a 

 thick consistence by the exhalation of the aqueous part, 

 after which it is made up into balls with lye-ashes, and will 

 then lather with salt water as well as fresh. This soap may 

 be made by pounding the leaves in a wooden mortar, and 

 reducing them to a consistence by the sun or by boiling. A 

 gallon of juice yields a pound of soft extract : the juice must 

 always be carefully strained, and never combined with tal- 

 low or other unctuous materials. The leaves are also used 

 for scouring pewter, and other kitchen utensils and floors. 

 The inward spongy substance of the decayed stalk is used 

 for tinder. The fibres of the leaves, separated by bruising 

 and steeping in water, and afterwards beating them, make 

 a strong thread for common uses. It is a hardy plant. This, 

 and the third species, should be planted in pots or tubs filled 

 with light sandy earth, and housed in winter with Oranges, 

 Myrtles. &c. ; and during that season should have but little 

 wet. They may remain abroad during summer, and until 

 the end of October. 



1. Agave Vivipara; Viviparous or Childing Agave. Stem- 

 less, leaves toothed. This never grows to a large size; it 

 is so tender that it will not thrive out of the stove even in 

 summer : and as it never produces off-sets or suckers from 

 the roots, it cannot be propagated that way except when in 

 flower, when there will be an abundance of them. They require 

 a light sandy earth, and should have little wet in winter, 

 but may be gently watered twice a week in summer, and be 

 allowed a great share of free air. Every summer they must 

 be shifted, but not have large pots, and have fresh earth : 

 unless the roots are confined, the plants will noi thrive. 



3. Agave Virginica; Virginian Agave. Stemless, herba- 

 ceous; leaves tooth-thorny. This is veiy like the first sort, 

 but does not rise so high : both sorts have lived in the open 

 air for some years in mild seasons: but in severe winters 

 they are always killed if not sheltered. The third specie- 

 seldom puts out so many suckers as the first, though it 

 generally produces sufficient for propagation. 



4. Agave Lurida. Subcaulescent ; leaves tooth-thorny. 

 This also greatly resembles the first specie's, but the le;n < * 

 are thinner, and their spines blacker. This is propagated 

 like the second species; which see. 



