42 



G R A 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL: 



G R A 



smaller and flat. The corolla is also a bivalve glume, and is 

 accompanied by a very small, superior, two-leaved nectariuin, 

 of an oblong form. The stamina are three in number; the 

 nlamenta capillary ; the antherse oblong and bicapsular. 

 There are two pistils, which are pubescent, reflex, or bent 

 back from each other, and terminated by pubescent stigmas. 

 One seed only, or grain, succeeds to each flower; it has no 

 pericarp, but is covered by the calix, corolla, or both ; it is of 

 an oblong form, drawn to a point at both ends, and mono- 

 cotyledonous, or composed of one lobe only. Besides this 

 agreement in the fructification, although grasses are exceed- 

 ingly difficult to distinguish from each other, they are known 

 at first sight from all other plants, owing to their peculiar ap- 

 pearance or habit, as botanists have agreed to term it. Their 

 stalk is simple or unbranched, straight, hollow, and jointed ; 

 their leaves are quite entire, of a long linear shape, acumi- 

 nate, or drawing gradually to a point at the end, marked 

 with lines parallel to the midrib or middle nerve ; upon the 

 culm or stalk there is only one of these leaves to each joint, 

 arising from a sheath which invests the stalk, usually to a 

 considerable distance. The seed, it is well known, is farina- 

 ceous, or abounding in meal, and is the principal food of 

 many tribes of birds, as the seeds of the larger sorts, which 

 we call corn, are of mankind. One genus of grass, the An- 

 thoxanthum, differs from the rest, in having two stamina 

 only ; and there are several genera, which, having male 

 flowers mixed with the hermaphrodites, are placed by Lin- 

 neus in his class Polygamia. 



Grass, Arrow-headed. See Triglochin. 



Grass, Artificial. The grasses vulgarly called artificial, 

 are mostly leguminous plants, totally different in every re- 

 spect from grasses, except in being used as food for cattle ; 

 they belong to the class Diadelphia. See Hcdysurum, for 

 Saintfoin; Medicago, for Lucern; and Trifolium, for Clover 

 and Trefoil. 



Grass, Barley. See Hordeum. 



Grass, Bent. See Agrostis. 



Grass, Brome. See Bromus. 



Grass, Canary. See Phalaris. 



Grass, Cafs-tail. See Phleum. 



Grass, CocKs-tail. See Dactylis. 



Grass, Cotton. See Eriophorum. 



Grass, Couch. See Triticum Repens. 



Grass, Darnel. See Lolium. 



Grass, Dog's. See Triticum and Agrostis. 



Grass, Dog's-tail. See Cynosurus. 



Grass, Feather. See Stipa. 



Grass, Fescue. See Festuca. 



Grass, Five-leaved. See Potentilla Reptans. 



Grass, Foxtail. See Alapecurus. 



Grass, Knot. See Polygonum. 



Grass, Lyme. See Elymus. 



Grass, Manna. See Festuca Fluitans. 



Grass, Mat. See Nardus. 



Grass, Meadow. See Poa. 

 . Grass, Melic. See Melica. 



Grass, Millet. See Millium. 



Grass, Oat. See Avena. 



Grass, Panic. See Panicum. 



Grass, Pepper. See Pilularia. 



Grass, Quaking. See Briza. 



Grass, Quick, or Quick. See Triticum. 



Grass, Rye or Ray. See Lolium and Hordeum. 



Grass, Reed. See Arundo. 



Grass, Scurvy. See Cochlearia. 



Grass Soft. See Holcus. 



Grass, Spiked. See Triglochin. 



Grass, Spring. See Anthoxanthum. 



Grass Timothy. See Phleum Pratense. 



Grass, Vernal. See Anthoxanthum. 



Grass, Vetch. See Lathyrus Nissolia. 



Grass, Viper's. See Scorzonera. 



Grass, Wheat. See Triticum. 



Grass, Wrack. See Zostera. 



Gratiola; a genus of the class Diandria, order Monogy- 

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

 upright; segments awl-shaped, permanent. Corolla: mono- 

 petalous, unequal; tube longer than the calix ; border four- 

 parted, small ; the upper segment broader, emarginate, re- 

 flex, the rest straight, equal. Stamina: filamenta four, awl- 

 shaped, shorter than the corolla, the two lower shorter than 

 the others, and barren, the two upper fastened to the tube 

 of the petal ; antherse roundish. Pistil : germen conic ; 

 style straight, awl-shaped; stigma two-lipped, after fecunda- 

 tion converging. Pericarp: capsule ovate-acuminate, two- 

 celled, two-valved. Seeds: very many, small. Observe: The 

 essence of the character consists in the two barren antherse. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: seven-leaved, the two outer 

 patulous. Corolla: irregular, reversed. Stamina: two, barren. 

 Capsule: two-celled. The species are, 



1. Gratiola OrHcinalis; Officinal Gratiola, Hedge-hyssop, 

 or Water-hyssop. Leaves lanceolate-serrate; flowers pedun- 

 cled. Root perennial, creeping, thick, fleshy, with many 

 slender fibres; stalks several, upright, a foot or more in 

 height, smooth, jointed; leaves opposite, sessile, pointed, 

 bright green, smooth, two inches long, and about two lines 

 broad ; flowers solitary, axillary, upright, on peduncles half 

 an inch long, appearing in June and July, and continuing 

 to August; calix usually seven-cleft; corolla shaped like 

 that of the Foxglove, but small, and of a pale yellowish 

 colour, or pale purple, with red streaks, sometimes white ; 

 the throat is hairy. The whole plant is very bitter, and 

 nearly resembles the Foxglove, both in external appearance 

 and virtues. Taken in moderate doses it purges briskly, 

 and in larger quantities also vomits, and by thus operating 

 carries off watery humours, and removes obstructing matter 

 in a very powerful degree. The juice is a rough but excel- 

 lent medicine in dropsies, and a strong decoction or infusion 

 soon cures the jaundice ; the root dried and powdered is 

 frequently given successfully in the sciatica and rheumatic 

 complaints, and in small doses will effectually destroy worms 

 in the stomach and intestines, and by its purging qualities 

 carries off that mucous and slimy matter in which they are 

 there bred and harboured. The root of this plant very 

 much resembles Ipecacuanha in its nature and effects, and is 

 equally to be depended on in purgings, the bloody flux, and 

 agues. Cattle will not touch this plant on account of its 

 extreme bitterness; so that Haller assures us, there are 

 meadows about Yverdun, in France, entirely useless through 

 the abundance of this plant. Native of the South of Europe, 

 generally found in moist pastures; common in many parts 

 of Switzerland, Carniola, Austria, in the Palatinate, Silesia, 

 France ; about Turin, Padua, and other parts of Italy. 

 This, together with the fifth species, are easily propagated 

 by parting the roots in autumn, when the stalks decay: 

 the plants should have a moist soil and a shady situation, 

 for in dry ground they often decay in summer, unless plen- 

 tifully watered. 



2. Gratiola Monnieria; Thyme-leaved Gratiola. Leavei 

 oval-oblong; peduncles one-flowered; stalks creeping. Root 

 jointed, creeping, with small fibres ; stalk herbaceous, in- 

 clined to be simple, round, leafy, smooth, somewhat erect, 



