F U M 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



F U M 



585 



o. Fumaria Bulbosa; Bulbous Fumitory. Stem simple; 

 biactes the length of the flowers. There are three varieties of 

 this species, which are specifically united by a fleshy, simple 

 root. Linneus informs us, that they are all natives of different 

 provinces of Sweden : the first, in Scania, both with a red 

 and a white flower; the second, in most of the woods of Up- 

 land ; and the third, on the coast of Roslag and Finland. As 

 this species is found in most parts of Europe, from Sweden 

 to Italy, Linneus remarks, as a singularity, that it does not 



trow wild in England. Mr. Miller, however, says, that the 

 olid-rooted Bulbous Fumitory is common in many of our 

 old gardens ; but that the hollow-rooted one is now rarely to 

 be found in them. See the preceding species. 



6. Fumaria Sempervirens ; Glaucous Fumitory. Siliques 

 linear, panicled: stem erect, a foot and a half high, round, 

 and very smooth, sending out several branches at top; leaves 

 smooth, branching, pale, divided like ,>e common sort, but 

 the leaflets larger, and more obtuse ; flowers in loose pani- 

 cles from the sides of the stem, and at the extremities of the 

 branches, of a pale purple colour, with yellow chaps or lips. 

 Annual. It flowers during summer; pods taper, narrow, an 

 inch and a half long, containing many small, black, shining 

 seeds. Native of North America. This, with the seventh, 

 eighth, ninth, tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth species, 

 will come up without any trouble, if the seeds be permitted 

 to scatter ; and require no other care but to thin them where 

 they are too close, and to keep them clean from weeds. These 

 thrive best on old walls and buildings, and on rocks. 



7. Fumaria Lutea ; Yellow Fumitory. Siliques cylindric; 

 stems diffused ; angles obtuse. The root strikes deep into 

 the Around ; stems many, succulent, diffused, about six inches 

 nig!) ; leaves on long branching petioles, composed of many 

 irregular leaflets, trifid at the top; peduncles axillary, naked, 

 longer than the leaves, supporting eight or nine flowers, of a 

 bright yellow colour, in a loose spike. The leaves continue 

 green all tb year, and the flowers in succession, from April 

 to October; so that this plant well deserves admission into 

 every garden. It is peculiarly proper for rock-work, old 

 walls, and buildings, in which the seeds often lodge of them- 

 selves, being thrown to a considerable distance by the elas- 

 ticity of the pods. Native of Barbary. 



8. Fumaria Sibirica; Siberian. Fumitory. Siliques oval; 

 stems patulous ; leaflets oblong; leaves alternate, superde- 

 comppund, with oblong leaflets ; flowers yellow; pods oval, 

 compressed, smooth, elastic. Annual, and a native of Sibe- 

 ria. See the sixth species. 



9. Fumaria Capnoides; White- floweret! Fumitory. Siliques 

 linear, four-cornered ; stems diffused, acute-angled; leaves 

 superdecompound ; the terminating leaflets larger, and semi- 

 trifid ; the middle segment iobed ; petioles three-cornered ; 

 racemes naked; pedicels shorter by half than the corollas, 

 blackish at the tip; corollas whitish, with the wings yellow 

 at the tip, and drawn to a point. There is a succession of 

 flowers from May till October; and this, like the seventh 

 species, is proper for walls, old buildings, and rock-work. 

 Native of the south of Europe. 



10. Fumaria Enneaphylla. Leaves triternate ; leaflets 

 cordate. This has weak trailing stems, which are much 

 divided ; and leaflets divided into three parts, each of which 

 has three heart-shaped lobes ; the flowers are produced in 

 small loose panicles from the sides of the stalks ; they are of 

 a greenish white, and appear during most of the summer 

 months. Native of Spain and Italy, upon old walls and 

 rocky places. 



11. Fumaria Officinalis; Common Fumitory. Pericarps 

 one-seeded, racemed ; stem diffuse; root annual; leaves 



VOL. i. 49. 



alternate, petioled, glaucous, smooth, somewhat fleshy, super- 

 decompound, the last divisions bifid or trifid, the extreme 

 segments lanceolate ; flowers alternate, in very long spikes, 

 on very short pedicels, under each of which is a lanceolate 

 membranaceous bracte, purple at top. The calix has little 

 teeth about the edges; corolla reddish, tipped with deep 

 purple, sometimes pale purple or white. It it a common 

 weed in corn-fields, garden*, and on ditch-banks, flowering 

 from April to August, and even later. Cows and sheep eat 

 it, and the latter are supposed to derive considerable benefit 

 from it. The leaves are succulent, saline, and bitter. The 

 expressed juice, in doses of two or three ounces, with whey, 

 is useful in hypochondriacal, scorbutic, and cachectic habits. 

 It corrects acidity, and strengthens the tone of the stomach. 

 Hoffman preferred it before all other medicines, as a purifier 

 of the blood. There is no doubt of its utility in obstructions 

 of the viscera, and the diseases arising from them. The cele- 

 brated Boerhaave frequently prescribed it in the black jaun- 

 dice and bilious colics. Some people smoke the dried leaves 

 in the manner of tobacco, for disorders of the head, and fre- 

 quently find relief. Dr. Cullen has experienced its good 

 effects in many cutaneous disorders : and there is a disorder 

 of the skin, which, though not attended with any alarming 

 symptoms of danger to the life of the patient, is thought to 

 place the empire of beauty in great jeopardy ; the complaint 

 is frequently brought on by neglecting to use a parasol, and 

 may be known by sandy spots, vulgarly called freckles, 

 scattered over various parts of the face. Now, be it known 

 to all whom it may concern, that the infusion of the leaves of 

 the above-described plant, is said to be an excellent specific 

 for removing these freckles, and clearing the skin. 



12. Fumaria Capreolata ; Ramping Fumitory. Pericarps 

 one-ieeded, racemed ; leaves climbing, subcirrhose. This 

 seems to be a mere variety of the preceding species. Mr. 

 Hudson could perceive no difference, except in the colour of 

 the flowers, which in this is white, with a purple tip. It 

 climbs, not by tendrils, but by the bending or twisting of the 

 petioles ; but Louis Gerarde attributes this wholly to its situ- 

 ation in hedges, or among bushes. Dr. Stokes, however, has 

 observed the stem sometimes trailing, and interweaving its 

 branches among the grass, very much branched, sometimes 

 three feet long ; the blossoms pale red. The stems are longer 

 and weaker; the leaves more distant, and not so finely divided; 

 the extreme divisions broader and blunter than the foregoing; 

 the spikes of flowers are on longer peduncles, but with fewer 

 flowers on a spike. It must, however, in candour be con- 

 fessed, that all these differences may be owing to situation 

 Native of Provence, Silesia, and Britain. 



13. Fumaria Spicata; Narrow -leaved Fumitory. Pericarps 

 one-seeded, spiked ; stem erect ; leaflets filiform. Annual. 

 The stalks more erect than in the common sort; the leaves 

 are very finely divided, and the flowers grow in a loose spike ; 

 they are of a deep red colour, and appear about the same 

 time. The flowers grow very close together in the spike ; 

 and the leaves are glaucous, and smaller than those in the 

 other species, like Camomile. Both stem and leaves are co- 

 vered with a glaucous bloom. There is little or no bitterness 

 in the leaves. It flowers with 119 in July and August, and is 

 a native of Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the south of France. 



14. Fumaria Claviculata; Climbing Fumitory. Siliques 

 linear; leaves tendril-bearing. Root annual; stems three- 

 cornered, slender, and unable to support themselves, pur- 

 plish at the base ; flowers few, (about five in number, seldom 

 more than two coining to perfection,) in short terminating 

 spikes ; corolla pale, greenish-white, or straw-coloured ; seeds 

 generally three, in oblong pointed smooth pods. Native of 



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