so 



A L O 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



A L O 



the ground, are of a sea-green colour, with some white spots ; 

 the flowers grow in loose spikes the tubulous part being 

 red, and the brim of a light green colour. 



fi. Aloe Suberecta ; Upright Perfoliate Aloe. Leaves 

 flat, almost upright, thorny at the edge and on the lower 

 surface. 



v. Aloe Depressa ; Short-leaved Perfoliate Aloe, Leaves 

 embracing, thorny on both sides ; flowers in spikes. 



f. Aloe Humilis ; f Dwarf Hedge-hog Aloe. Leaves up- 

 right, subulate, radfcate, with weak spines all round. This 

 is a very low plant, never rising into a stem The flowers, 

 which shew that it belongs to this species, grow on a loose 

 head at the top of the stalk, which is very thick, but sel- 

 dom a foot high ; below their colour is a fine red, but a 

 pale green above. 



o. Aloe Mitraformis ; Great Mitre Aloe. Grows with an 

 upright stalk to the height of five or six feet ; the leaves 

 are of a dark green colour ; the tube of the corolla is of a 

 fine red, the brim of a pale green. 



ir. Aloe Brevifolia ; Small Mitre Aloe. 



3. Aloe Arachnoides; Cobweb Aloe. Stemless; leaves 

 three-cornered, cusped, ciliate ; flowers in a sort of spike, 

 upright, cylindrical. There are two varieties, 



a. Aloe Arachnoides Communis ; Common Cobweb Aloe. 

 Leaves short, plain, fleshy, triangular at the end ; the borders 

 set with soft spines. Cobweb Aloe never rises from the 

 ground, but the leaves spread flat on the surface ; these are 

 plain, succulent, and triangular toward the end ; the borders 

 and keel are closely set with soft white spines. The flower- 

 stem rises about a foot high, is very slender, and has three 

 or four small distant herbaceous flowers. 



ft. Aloe Arachnoides Pumila ; Small Cobweb Aloe. Leaves 

 ovate-lanceolate, fleshy, triangular at the end, with numerous 

 soft spines. A small plant near the ground. 



4. Aloe Margaritifera ; Pearl Aloe. Stemless : leaves 

 three-cornered, cusped, papillose; flowers in racemes, droop- 

 ing, cylindrical. It is of humble growth, and flowers in 

 several seasons of the year. There is a smaller sort, which 

 has been long preserved in the English gardens. 



5. Aloe Verrucosa ; Warted, or Pearl-tongued Aloe. Stem- 

 less ; leaves sword-shaped, sharp, papillose, distich ; flowers 

 in racemes, reflex, club-shaped. This species produces off- 

 sets in plenty, and flowers in several seasons of the year. 

 The flowers are of a beautiful red colour, tipped with green. 



6. Aloe Carinata ; Keel-leaved Aloe. Stemless : leaves 

 aeinaciform, papillose; flowers in racemes, drooping, curved. 

 The flowers are of a paler colour, and the spikes shorter 

 than those of the preceding species. 



7. Aloe Maculata ; Spotted Aloe. Leaves blunt with a 

 point. Almost Stemless ; leaves aeinaciform, smooth, paint- 

 ed ; flowers in racemes, drooping, curved. It varies with 

 large, oblong, white confluent spots ; and with small ones. 

 Native of the Cape ; flowering in August. 



8. Aloe Lingua ; Tongue Aloe. Almost Stemless ; leaves 

 tooth-letted, smooth distich ; flowers in racemes, upright, 

 cylindrical. The flowers are in slender loose spikes, each hang- 

 ing downwards, of a red colour at bottom, and green at top. 

 There is a variety of this with leaves much more spotted. 



9. Aloe Plicatilis ; Fan Aloe. Almost Stemless ; leaves 

 tongue-shaped, even, distich ; flowers in racemes, pendulous, 

 cylindrical. This grows to the height of six or seven feet, 

 with a strong stem ; the flowers, which are of a red colour, 

 are produced in short loose spikes, and appear at different 

 times of the year. 



10. Aloe Variegata Partridge-breasted Aloe. Almost stem- 

 less ; leaves in three ranks, painted channelled ; angles 



cartilaginous ; flowers in racemes, cylindrical. It is a low 

 plant, seldom rising above eight inches high. The leaves are 

 triangular, fleshy, and serrated ; they are curiously veined, 

 and spotted like the feathers of a partridge's breast. The 

 flowers are in loose spikes, of a fine red colour, tipped with 

 green. 



11. Aloe Viscosa ; Upright Triangular Aloe. Subcau- 

 lescent ; leaves imbricate in three ranks, ovate ; flowers in 

 racemes, drooping, cylindrical. Grows near a foot high, 

 and has triangular leaves of a dark green colour ; the flowers 

 grow thinly on very slender peduncles, they are of a her- 

 baceous colour, and their upper part turns backward. 



12. Aloe Spiralis ; Spiral Aloe. Subcaulescent ; leaves 

 imbricate in eight ranks, ovate ; flowers in racemes, curved 

 back. This somewhat resembles the preceding species. 



13. Aloe Retusa ; Cushion Aloe. Stemless; leaves in five 

 ranks, deltoid. This species receives its name from its very 

 short thick succulent leaves, which are compressed on the 

 upper side like a cushion ; the flowers are of a herbaceous 

 colour. It grows very close to the ground. 



14. AloeSpicata; Spiked Aloe; Flowers in spikes, hori- 

 zontal, bell-shaped ; stem-leaves flat, embracing, toothed. 

 This very much resembles the second species. It was ob- 

 served by Thumberg at the Cape. The flower is full of a 

 purple honey-juice. The best and purest Hepatic Aloe is 

 obtained from this species ; that obtained from Barbadoes 

 is of different degrees of purity, darker, and more bitter and 

 nauseous than the Socotorine kind. 



Alopecuros. See Betonica. 



Alopecurus ; a genus of the class Triandria, order Digynia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : glume, one-flowered, two- 

 valved; valves ovate-lanceolate, concave, compressed, equal, 

 connate at the base. Corolla - one-valved ; valve ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, concave, the edges united at the base, a little shorter 

 than the calix ; awn twice as long, with a bent joint, in- 

 serted into the back of the valve near the base. Stamina .- 

 filaments three, capillary, flattish at the base, longer than 

 the calix ; antherae forked at each end. Pistil .- germ roundish ; 

 styles two, capillary, united at the base, longer than the 

 calix; stigmas villous. Pericarp: none; corolla investing 

 the seed. Seed: ovate, covered. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. 

 Calix; two-valved. Corolla: one-valved. For the culture 

 and propagation of this genus see GBASS. The species are, 



1. Alopecurus Indicus ; Indian Fox-tail Grass. Spike cylin- 

 drical ; involucres setaceous, fasciculate, two-flowered ; 

 peduncles villous. Native of the East Indies. 



2. Alopecurus Bulbosus ; Bulbous Fox-tail Grass. Culm 

 erect ; spike cylindrical : root bulbous. It rises about a 

 foot high ; and has been found in great plenty in a wet salt- 

 marsh near Yarmouth in Norfolk. 



3. Alopecurus Pratensis ; Meadow Fox-tail Grass. Culm 

 spiked, erect ; glumes villous; corollas awnless. Roots pe- 

 rennial ; stalks from a foot to eighteen inches, two, and even 

 three feet high ; the antherae are frequently purple when in 

 full vigour. It is a native of most parts of Europe. It is 

 common in the best pastures about London ; and produces 

 the spike in April or May, being one of the earliest grasses. 

 It frequently flowers twice in one season, and the seed may 

 be collected without much difficulty, for it does not quit the 

 chaff, and the spikes are very prolific. This grass is highly 

 worth cultivation on the lands that are proper for it, as it 

 possesses the three great requisites of quantity, quality, and 

 earliness, in a superior degree to any other. 



. 4. Alopecuris Agrestis ; Field Fox-tail Grass. Culin 

 spiked, 'rttt; glume smooth ; calix surrounded at bottom by 

 a ring. It resembles the preceding, but is distinguished from 



