B U P 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



B U P 



209 



fertile ; proper, of five involuted, entire, very short petals. 

 Stamina: filamenta five, simple ; antherse roundish. Pistil: 

 germen inferior ; styles two, reflected, small : stigmas very 

 small. Pericarp: none; fruit roundish, compressed, striated, 

 splitting in two. Seeds: two, ovate-oblong, convex nnd 

 striated on one side, flat on the other. ESSENTIAL CHA- 

 RACTER. Involucres of the umbellule larger, five-leaved. 

 Petals: involuted. Fruit .- roundish, compressed, striated. 

 The Bupleurums in general are cultivated only in botanic 

 gardens. The seeds should be sown in Autumn, wherever 

 the plants are designed to remain, for they do not bear trans- 

 planting well. To keep them clean from weeds, is all the 



culture they require. The species are, 



* Herbaceous. 



1. Bupleurum Rotundifolium ; Common Thorough-wax, 

 Universal involucres, none ; leaves, or rather stem, perfoliate; 

 root annual, small, and fibrous ; stem a foot high, upright, 

 round, and alternately branched; leaves smooth, bluish-green, 

 alternate, ovate, quite entire. Our common or round-leaved 

 Hare's-ear, is known in England by the name of Thorough- 

 wax, from the singular circumstance of the stalk waxing or 

 growing through the leaf; which alone may serve to distin- 

 guish this plant, it being the only one, (asRay observes, )among 

 our indigenous herbs, which has n simple leaf perforated by 

 the stem. Every part of the plant is remarkably hard and 

 I-igid, and has a slightly aromatic smell. It had the reputa- 

 tion formerly of being a vulnerary herb ; but this is a quality 

 which no medicine can have, any otherwise than as a tonic, 

 strengthening the constitution ; nor can any external applica- 

 tion be specifically healing or consolidating, or be useful in 

 any other way, except as a defence from the air. Country 

 people make use of the leaves externally, against wounds and 

 bruises ; and the seeds inwardly, to prevent the bad effect of 

 inward hurts. Culpeper says, the decoction of the herb, or 

 powder of the dried herb, taken inwardly, and the same or 

 the leaves bruised, and applied outwardly, is singularly good 

 for all ruptures and burstings, especially in children before 

 they be too old. Native of most parts of Europe, from Bri- 

 tain southward, as a weed among corn. With us it is not 

 very common. It has, however, been found near Lewisham 

 and Dartford, between Queenhithe and Stone in Kent, and 

 Harefield in Middlesex. It appears in tolerable plenty in 

 several fields in Cambridgeshire, and was observed near Fe- 

 versham by Mr. Ray, nearly a century and a half ago. Since 

 that time, it has been remarked on the lower road to Gogma- 

 gog-hills, by Linton, and near Kingston wood. Mr. Crow has 

 found it nearMarham in Norfolk ; Mr. Woodward at Carlby, 

 between Stamford and Bourn in Lincolnshire. It is plentiful 

 in many parts of Kent ; and betweenFarningham and Ainsford, 

 it grows in great quantity in the corn-fields. Dr. John Sib- 

 thorp marks it as growing about South Leigh and Middleton 

 Stoney in Oxfordshire. It grows near Epsom, Sutton, and 

 Leatherhead, in Surry. It has been noticed in the neighbour- 

 hood of Leeds in Yorkshire, but always among Beans. A dry 

 calcareous soil suits it best. Martyn says, he has never ob- 

 served it except among wheat. It llowers in June and July. 



2. Bupleurum Stellatum ; Starry Hares Ear. Involucels 

 united ; universal involucre three-leaved ; root perennial ; 

 stem a foot or eighteen inches high. Native of the alps of 

 Switzerland, and Daupbiny. It flowers from May to July. 



3. Bupleurum Pctraeum ; Rode Hare's Ear. Involucels 

 united ; universal involucre five-leaved ; root perennial ; root- 

 leaves very numerous, long, narrow, and tender, like those of 

 the most delicate grasses, spreading on the ground. It is a 

 native of Switzerland, Monte Buldo, and the South of France ; 

 and flowers from May to July. 



VOL. i. 18. 



4. Bupleurum Angulosum ; Angular-leaved Hare's Ear. 

 Involucels five-leaved, orbiculate ; universal involucre three- 

 leaved, ovate ; leaves stem-clasping, cordate, lanceolate.' 

 This sort is large, being eighteen inches high, and is easily 

 known by its horned involucres. It is a native of Switzer- 

 land, and flowers from May to July. 



5. Bupleurum Longifolium ; Long-leaved Hare's Ear. In- 

 volucels five-leaved, ovate ; universal involucre, with about 

 five leaflets ; leaves stem-clasping. This closely resembles 

 the first species ; but the root is perennial, and the root- 

 leaves are permanent, and more lengthened out. Native of 

 Germany, Flanders, Switzerland, Dauphiny, and Savoy ; 

 flowering from May to July. The fresh-gathered leaves are 



a good application to green wounds, which they speedily 

 heal without any other assistance ; the method of using them 

 is as follows : take three or four of the leaves, and, after 

 closing the lips of the wound, lay them one over the other, 

 and secure them with a linen bandage for the space of three 

 or four days ; at the end of vVhich time, in most cases, the 

 cure will be effected, and nothing but a scar will be found 

 remaining. It is likewise supposed to possess considerable 

 efficacy in scrofulous complaints, but is not altogether to 

 be depended on for the cure of a disorder which frequently 

 sets the most powerful medicines at defiance. This herb has 

 always been included among the vulnerary plants. 



6. Bupleurum Falcatum ; Twisted-stalk Hare's Ear. 

 Involucels five-leaved, acute ; universal involucre, with about 

 five leaflets ; leaves lanceolate ; stem flexuose ; root peren- 

 nial ; flowers small, deep yellow. Native of Germany, Swit- 

 zerland, Austria, the south of France, and Italy. It flowers 

 in our gardens from May to September. 



7. Bupleurum Odontites ; Narrow-leaved Hare's Ear. 

 Involucels five-leaved, acute ; universal involucre three- 

 leaved, the central floscules higher ; branches divaricated, 

 root annual. Native of the south of France, Switzerland, 

 Carniola, Spain, and Italy. It flowers from June till August. 



8. Bupleurum Semicompositum : Dwarf Hare's Ear. 

 Umbels compound and simple. Stem scarcely a span high ; 

 branches divaricate ; leaves lanceolate. The petals are pur- 

 plish. Native of Spain, Montpellier, Villa Franca. Annual ; 

 flowering in July and August. 



9. Bupleurum Ranunculoides. Involucels five-leaved, 

 lanceolate, longer ; universal involucre three-leaved ; stem- 

 leaves lanceolate. This is commonly a very small plant, not 

 more than a few inches in height ; in some situations it is 

 scarcely more than one inch high ; in others, it rises to a 

 foot. The root is perennial ; the stem simple ; the leaves 

 grass-like and stiff. Native of the south of France, Switzer- 

 land, and the Pyrenees. 



10. Bupleurum Rigiduui; Stiff-leaved Hare's Ear. Stem 

 dichotomous, almost naked ; involucres very small, acute : 

 root perennial. It grows naturally about Montpellier, and 

 Frankfort-on-the-Maine. 



11. Bupleurum Gerardi. Stem erect, panicled ; leaves lan- 

 ceolate, linear ; involucres and involucels five-leaved ; root 

 annual, simple, naked. Native of Provence and Austria. 



12. Bupleurum Tenuissimum ; Least Hare's Ear. Um- 

 bels simple, alternate, five-leaved, with about three flowers. 

 This is an annual plant, with the stem a foot high, and much 

 branching ; the branches alternate, long, and many-flowered. 

 Native of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, 

 and England, near Huntingdon, Ellesley, Cambridge, Lynn, 

 Holkham, Maiden, Hastings, Pett, in the isle of Thunet, and 

 probably in many more places, being a plant of little appear- 

 ance or colour, and in a manner lost in the grass among 

 which it grows : it flowers in July and August. 



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