72 



A L C 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL ; 



ALE 



until they have taken root ; after which they require no fur- 

 ther care, except to weed them until October, when they 

 may be planted out wherever they are intended to remain. 



The species are, 



1. Alcea Rosea ; Common Hollyhock. Leaves sinuate- 

 angular. This species grows naturally in China, whence 

 its seeds are frequently imported, so that they are become 

 very common. They flower from July until September, and 

 often rise to nine feet high in good ground, six feet of which 

 is garnished with flowers, which when double, and, of a good 

 colour, make a beautiful appearance, especially if the various 

 colours be properly intermixed. Meyritk says, that a decoc- 

 tion of the roots operates by urine, and is serviceable in the 

 stone, gravel, and all other disorders of the urinary vessels, 

 such as the stranguary, heat of urine, &c. It is a good in- 

 gredient in poultices, fomentations, and clysters, for any of 

 the aforesaid purposes, and appears to possess nearly the 

 same virtues with the Marshmallow. 



2. Alcea Ficifolia ; Fig-leaved Hollyhock. Leaves palmate. 

 The seeds of this species were received from Istria, by Mr. 

 Miller : likethe common Hollyhock, though a native of warm 

 countries, it is hardy enough to bear the open air of Eng- 

 land : and is one of the greatest ornaments of our gardens 

 towards the latter end of summer. Both this and the first 

 species require tall stakes to secure them from violent winds, 

 and produce a succession of flowers for two months. 



3. Alcea Africana ; African Hollyhock. Leaves three- 

 lobed, crenate ; flowers solitary, axillary j both calices six- 

 parted. The stem of this species rises upright four feet high. 

 It is a native of the eastern shore of Africa. 



Alcea. See Malva. 



Alchemilla ; a genus of the class Tetrandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one-leafed, 

 tubulous, permanent ; edge flat, divided into eight seg- 

 ments. Corolla: none. Stamina: filaments erect, awl- 

 shaped, very small, on the edge of the calix ; antherse round- 

 ish. Pistil: germ ovate ; style filiform, length of the sta- 

 mina, inserted at the base of the germ ; stigma globular. 

 Pericarp: none ; the neck of the calix closes and never 

 opens. Seeds .- solitary, elliptic, compressed. ESSENTIAL 

 CHARACTER. Calix: eight-cleft. Corolla: none. Seed.- one. 

 The best way to propagate this genus of plants, is by 

 parting their roots in autumn, that they may be established 

 before the drying winds of spring come on. They require 

 a moist soil and shady situation, or they will not thrive in 

 the southern parts of England. The species are, 



1. Alchemilla Vulgaris ; Common Ladies- Mantle, or Bears- 

 foot. Leaves lobed. This plant grows naturally in high 

 pastures of several parts of England, but is not very com- 

 mon near London ; it rises about a foot high, and its leaves 

 are sgalloped round the edges, resembling the scalloped 

 mantles of the ladies, from which it has its name. Cows 

 are not partial to it ; but horses, goats, and sheep eat it. 

 In Sweden, a tincture of the leaves is given in spasmodic 

 t/f convulsive diseases : they are also esteemed to be vul- 

 nerary, drying, and binding, and are of great force to stop 

 inward bleeding. The root is the most valuable part of the 

 plant ; and a strong decoction of it fresh taken up is ex- 

 cellent for immoderate discharges of the menses, the bloody 

 flux, and all other bleedings. Dried and reduced to powder, 

 it answers the same purposes, and is also good for common 

 purges when they continue too long. Some say it has its 

 name from its being used by the women in the north of 

 England, to reduce their breasts to form after they have 

 been swelled with milk, which is effected by an external 

 application of the leaves. It is a perennial plant. 



2. Alchemilla Alpina ; Cinquefoil, or Alpine Ladies-Mantle. 

 Leaves digitate, serrate. This is found growing naturally 

 on the mountains of Yorkshire, Westmoreland, and Cum- 

 berland, generally upon moist boggy places. It is also a 

 native of Sweden, Denmark, the Alps, and other cold parts 

 of Europe ; and is admitted into gardens for its elegance. 

 The leaves are of a fine white, consisting of from five to nine 

 folioles, and the stem seldom exceeds six inches in height. 



3. Alchemilla Aphanoides. Leaves many-parted ; stem 

 erect. This is a small plant, resembling the Aphanes Ar- 

 vensis or Parsley Piert, and was found in South America by 

 Mentis. 



4. Alchemilla Pentaphyllea ; Five-leaved Ladies-Mantle. 

 Leaves quinate, multitid, smooth. This species grows natu- 

 rally on the high Alps, as Gothard, Furca, Speluga, Pilat, 

 &c. ; and is only to be found in some few curious botanic, 

 gardens in this country. 



Alchornea; a genus of the class Dioecia, order Monadelphia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Male. Calix: perianth three or 

 five leaved ; leaflets ovate, concave, equal, coloured, deci- 

 duous. Corolla : none. Stamina ; filaments eight, equal, 

 scarce longer than the calix, slightly connate at the base ; 

 antherae ovate, upright. Pistil: a rudiment. Female. Ca- 

 lix : perianth one-leafed, four or five toothed ; teeth equal, 

 small. Corolla: none. Pistil; germ twin, superior; styles 

 two, very long, filiform ; stigmas simple, acute. Pericarp .- 

 capsule berried, two-seeded, two-celled, two-valved. Seeds : 

 solitary, large, oblong. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Male. Ca- 

 lix : three or five leaved. Corolla ; nojie. Female. Calix .- 

 five-toothed. Corolla : none. Style : two-parted. Capsule : 

 berried, dicoccous. One species only is known, viz. 



1. Alchornea Latifolia. Note, This genus was named after 

 Mr. Stainsby Alchorne, apothecary, of London ; but there 

 are no particulars of its qualities or use, in Miller's Gardener's 

 Dictionary, edited by Professor Martyn, Lond. 1807- 



Alder-Tree. See Betula Alnus. 



Aldrovanda ; a genus of the Pentandria class, order Penta- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth five-parted, 

 erect, equal, permanent. Corolla . petals five, oblong, acu- 

 minate, length of the calix, permanent. Stamina: filaments 

 length of the flowers ; antherae simple. Pistil .- germ glo- 

 bose ; styles very short ; stigmas obtuse. Pericarp : a glo- . 

 bose capsule, with five' blunt angles, five-valved, one-celled. 

 Seeds ; ten, longish, fixed to the inner wall of the pericarp. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: five-parted. Petals; five. 



Capsule ; five-valved, one-celled, ten-seeded. There is 



but one species. 



1. Aldrovanda Vesiculosa. Root perennial, flowers soli- 

 tary, and the stem seeming to terminate in a peduncle, whilst 

 that continues the stem, or produces a branch from the side. 

 Stamina between the petals. Antherae yellow, twin. This 

 plant is found in marshes, both in Italy and India. 



Ale-cost. See Tanacetum. 



Alectra ; a genus of the class Didynamia, order Angiosper- 

 mia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one-leafed, 

 two-lipped, upper lip two-cleft, lower three-cleft ; clefts 

 ovate, obtuse, shorter than the tube. Corolla : one-petalled, 

 tubular; tube by degrees widened a little ; border expand- 

 ing, five-parted ; parts broad-lanceolate, obtuse. Stamina : 

 filaments four, inserted into the tube, filiform, bearded, 

 length of the tube ; two of them are a little shorter ; anthe- 

 rae twin. Pistil .- germ ovate ; style filiform, length of the 

 filaments ; stigma incurved, a little thicker than the style, 

 and of the same length, striated on both sides. Pericarp -. 

 capsule ovate-obtuse, twin, smooth, two-celled, two-valved. 

 Seeds; solitary, ovate. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Corolla: 



