68 



L YT 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



L YT 



11. Lysimachia Nummularia; Creeping Loosestrife, or 

 Moneywort. Leaves subcordate ; flowers solitary ; stem creep- 

 ing-. Root perennial, with simple fibres, striking downwards; 

 corolla yellow, about the same size with the leaves. The 

 whole plant is smooth. The leaves of this plant are subas- 

 tringent, and slightly acid ; hence Boerhaave recommended 

 them in the hot scurvy and heemorrhasres: they are best given 

 in powder, in doses often grains. The juice of the leaves 

 is a well-known remedy among country people for overflowing 

 of the menses; and the roots dried and powdered are good 

 in purgings. It is also a good antiscorbutic; and the leaves 

 bruised, and applied to green wounds, speedily heal them. It 

 is called Nummularia, from the leaves being shaped like 

 money; hence our Moneywort, Herb Two-pence, and Two- 

 penny Grass : which names are translated into all the lan- 

 guages of modern Europe. Native of most parts of Europe, 

 in moist meadows, on the sides of ditches, and under hedges, 

 in moist situations: flowering in June and July. 



12. Lysimachia Japonica; Japan Loosestrife. Leaves sub- 

 cordate ; flowers axillary; peduncles shorter than the leaf. 

 Root annual, fibrous; stem filiform, decumbent; flowers two 

 together. Native of Japan. 



13. Lysimachia Angnstifolia. Leaves opposite and verti- 

 cillate, longo-linear, punctated; raceme terminal, short; laci- 

 nie of the corolla oblong; flowers yellow, very small. Found 

 in Lower Carolina. 



14. Lysimachia Heterophylla. Leaves opposite, linear, 

 sessile, ciliated at the base; root-leaves suborbiculate; flowers 

 stooping. Grows in wet meadows, from Virginia to 

 Georgia. 



Ly thrum; a genus of the class Dodecandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one- 

 leafed, cylindric, striated; with twelve teeth, alternately 

 smaller. Corolla: petals six, oblong, bluntish, spreading, 

 with the claws inserted into the teeth of the calix. Stamina: 

 filamenta twelve, filiform, the length of the calix, the upper 

 ones shorter than the lower; antherse simple, rising. Pistil: 

 germen oblong; style awl-shaped, the length of the stamina, 

 declined; stigma orbiculate, rising. Pericarp: capsule ob- 

 long, acuminate, straight, two-celled, or one-celled. Seeds: 

 numerous, small. Observe. In some species, one-sixth part 

 of the number is taken from the flower; others have only six 

 stamina. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: twelve-toothed. 

 Petals: six, inserted into the calix. Capsule: two-celled, 

 many-seeded. The species are, 



1. Lythrum Salicaria; Common or Purple Willow-herb. 

 Leaves opposite, cordate-lanceolate ; flowers in spikes, twelve- 

 stamined. Root perennial, thick, branched, somewhat woody, 

 widely extended; stem from two or three to four or six feet 

 high, upright, tinged with red; flowers in clusters, placed at 

 a little distance from each other, in the axils of the leaves, 

 each consisting of about eight flowers, forming a long leafy 

 spike; corolla red-purple. Native of most parts of Europe, 

 in marshes, and on the banks of rivers, ponds, and ditches; 

 flowering late in the summer. It is astringent ; and is 

 recommended by De Haen, and several other foreign physi- 

 sians, in long-protracted diarrhoeas and dysenteries. A de- 

 coction, or the expressed juice, is given from one to three 

 ounces. When dried and powdered, it imbibes a great quan- 

 tity of water, before it loses its glutinosity. It has been suc- 

 cessfully used in tanning leather; and seems in general to 

 remain untouched by cattle; though Schreber asserts that 

 they feed upon it. The Germans call it Braune Weiderich; 

 the Dutch, Partyke; the French, Salicaire: the Italians, Sali- 

 c'tria; and the Russians, Plakun. There are several varieties 

 of this handsome plant; which deserve a place in large gar- 



dens and plantations, and may be easily cultivated, by part- 

 ing the roots in autumn ; but should be planted in a moist 

 soil. 



2. Lythrum Virgatum ; Fine-branched Willow-herb. Leaves 

 opposite, lanceolate ; panicle virgate ; flowers twelve-stamined, 

 in threes. Root perennial, thick; stems upright, panicled, 

 from a foot to two feet in length. Native of Austria, Silesia, 

 and Siberia. This, with the other hardy foreign sorts, No. 

 4, 5, and 6, may be increased by parting the roots. When 

 raised from seed, they should be sown in autumn ; otherwise 

 they will remain a year in the ground. 



3. Lythrum Fruticosum ; Shrubby Willow-herb. Leaves oppo- 

 site, subtomentose underneath ; flowers ten-stamined; corolla 

 shorter than the calix ; calix shorter than the genitals. This 

 shrub has a lacerated bark; flowers solitary, peduncled, sub- 

 terminating. Native of China. This, and most of the follow- 

 ing species, are too tender to live in the open air. Sow the 

 seeds in pots, and plunge them into an old hot-bed: they 

 will not rise, unless they are sown in autumn. Shelter them 

 through the winter, and in spring place them in a fresh hot- 

 bed : after which, treat them as other tender plants from hot 

 countries. 



4. Lythrum Verticillatum; Whorled Willow-herb. Leaves 

 opposite, tomentose underneath, subpetioled ; flowers in whorls, 

 lateral, pale purple; peduncles many-flowered, very short.- 

 Native of Virginia. 



5. Lythrum Petiolatum; Footstalk-leaved Willow-herb. 

 Leaves opposite, linear, petioled ; flowers twelve-stamined; 

 they are axillary, solitary, small, and of a pale purple colour, 

 appearing in July. Native of Virginia. 



6. Lythrum Lineare; Linear-leaved Willow-herb. Leaves 

 opposite, linear ; flowers opposite, six-stamined, white ; stem 

 slender, about a foot high. It flowers in June; and is a 

 native of Virginia. 



7. Lythrum Parsonsia. Leaves opposite, oval; flowers 

 alternate, six-stamined, sessile; stem diffused. Roots filiform; 

 stem slender, prostrate, or creeping; flowers pale red. Na- 

 tive of Jamaica and Hispaniola; flowering the whole year. 



8. Lythrum Melanium. Leaves opposite, ovate; flowers 

 alternate, mostly ten-stamined; stem prostrate. This is a 

 weakly plant, with a slender stem, well supplied with branches 

 towards the top; and having a disagreeable smell, approach- 

 ing much to that of Guinea-hen Weed, but more subtile, and 

 less perceptible when placed close to the nose. Swartz dis- 

 tinguishes it by the alternate situation of the flowers. Native 

 of Jamaica, in the cane-pieces. 



9. Lythrum Cordifolium; Heart-leaved Willow-herb. Leaves 

 oppositie, insubsessile, cordate, acute, rugged ; racemes termi- 

 nating and axillary; flowers ten-stamined. Native of Hispa- 

 niola. 



10. Lythrum Ciliatum; Ciliated Willow-herb. Leaves 

 opposite, petioled, ovate, smooth, ciliated ; racemes termi- 

 nating; flowers mostly pointing one way, ten-stamined. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



11. Lythrum Cuphea; Clammy Willow-herb. Leaves oppo- 

 site, petioled, ovate-oblong, somewhat rugged; flowers twelve- 

 stamined. Root fibrous, annual ; stalk delicate, slender, round, 

 upright, ten inches or a foot in height, pubescent, purple; 

 branches few, alternate, simple; petals unequal, the two 

 upper ones larger. It flowers in July and August. Nativ* 

 of Brazil and Jamaica. See the third species. 



12. Lythrum Triflorum ; Three-flowered Willow-herb. Very 

 smooth: leaves opposite, subsessile, lanceolate, entire; pedun- 

 cles axillary, opposite; head three-flowered. Root perennial. 

 This species is easily distinguished from the rest, by its filiform 

 peduncles, terminated by two lanceolate, channelled, spreading 



