392 



POT 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



POT 



not waved; the spikes shorter than the peduncles, and the 

 flowers greenish. Native of Europe, in ditches and slow 

 streams; flowering in June and July, when its small spikes 

 of about four brownish-green flowers, emerge from the 

 water. 



10. Potamogeton Gramineum ; Grassy Pondweed. Leaves 

 linear-lanceolate, alternate, sessile, wider than the stipules; 

 stem round, subdichotomous. It flowers in July. Native of 

 Europe, in ditches and slow streams. Found in England 

 near Deptford ; on Binsey common ; in ditches by the road- 

 side going to Port Meadow, Oxford ; on the river Skern, 

 near Darlington. Found also at Port Jackson. 



11. Potamogeton Pusillum; Small Pondweed. Leaves 

 linear, opposite, and alternate, narrower than the stipules, 

 spreading at the base; stem round; peduncles axillary. 

 The whole plant is extremely slender, and much branched. 

 It flowers in July; appears to be perennial; and is found all 

 over Europe, in ditches and ponds in a clayey soil. 



12. Potamogeton Pectinatum ; Fennel-leaved Pondweed. 

 Leaves bristle-shaped, parallel, approximating, distich, sheath- 

 ing at the base. Root originating from a tuberous lump, then 

 creeping horizontally, slender, much branched, as also is the 

 stem, which floats under water, extending two or three feet. 

 Native of Europe, in ponds, and not unfrequently in rivers, 

 in which it seldom flowers if the stream be rapid. There is 

 a variety called Sea Pondweed, but the variation is very slight, 

 hardly sufficient to furnish a distinction. 



13. Potamogeton Setaceum; Setaceous Pondweed. Leaves 

 bristle-shaped, opposite. Hudson found it in the peaty 

 ditches of Lancashire. It flowers in July and August. 

 Native of Europe. 



14. Potamogeton Contortum. Stem filiform ; leaves alter- 

 nate, subulate-filiform, contorted. Found in rivulets in 

 Barbary- 



Potatoes. See Solanum. 



Potatoes, Canada. See Helianthus Tuberosus. 



Potatoes, Spanish. See Convolvulus Batatus. 



Potentilla ; a genus of the class Icosandria, order Poly- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one-leafed, 

 flattish, ten-cleft; the alternate segments smaller, reflex. 

 Corolla: petals five, roundish, spreading, inserted by their 

 claws into the calix. Stamina: filamenta twenty, awl-shaped, 

 shorter than the corolla, inserted into the calix ; antherae 

 elongate-lunnlate. Pistil: germina numerous, very small, 

 collected into a head ; styles filiform, the length of the sta- 

 mina, inserted into the side of the germen ; stigmas obtuse. 

 ^Pericarp: none. Common receptacle of the seeds roundish, 

 juiceless, very small, permanent, covered with seeds, enclosed 

 within the calix. Seeds: according to Gsertner, numerous, 

 acuminate, wrinkled. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Cafe .-ten- 

 cleft. Petals : five. Seeds : roundish, naked, fastened to a 



small juiceless receptacle. The species are, 



* With pinnate Leaves. 



1. Potentilla Fruticosa ; Shrubby Cinquefoil. Leaves pin- 

 nate ; stem shrubby. The whole plant is set with silvery 

 hairs : flowers terminating, solitary, peduncled, of a bright 

 yellow or gold colour, and very ornamental. Native of 

 Oeland, England, Siberia, China ; and between the rivers 

 Delaware and New York, in North America. The beautiful 

 appearance of its flowers has brought it into gardens. Besoms 

 are made of it. It is singular that swine alone, who eat 

 almost every thing, reject this plant, while all other domestic 

 graniyoropi animals eat it. Flowers in June and July. In 

 England this plant was first observed a century ago near 

 Greta Bridge in Yorkshire, on the south bank of the Tees 

 below Thorp, where it still grows ; and below Eggleston 



Abbey in Yorkshire. Thousands of this species have been 

 observed near Mickle Force, in Teesdale. The best season 

 for transplanting this species is in October, that it may get 

 new roots before the hard frost sets in ; for as it grows natu- 

 rally upon moist boggy land, when removed in the spring, 

 if due care be not taken to water it in dry weather, it is apt 

 to miscarry. It will not live in a dry hot soil, but thrives 

 exceedingly in a cool moist ground in a shady situation. 



2. Potentilla Anserina ; Silvery Cinquefoil; Silvenveed; 

 Wild Tansey ; Goose or Moor Grass. Leaves interruptedly 

 pinnate, serrate, silky underneath ; stem creeping; peduncles 

 one-flowered. Root branched, outwardly dark brown or 

 whitish, furnished with small fibres, and penetrating deep. 

 Few plants render themselves more conspicuous by the white- 

 ness of their leaves, and large golden flowers : in this parti- 

 cular however it is subject to variation, the leaves being 

 sometimes silvery on both sides, and sometimes entirely 

 green, but it is most commonly found with the upper side of 

 the leaves green and the under side silvery ; the more clayey 

 the soil, in general the whiter are the leaves. It thrives in 

 most situations, especially in clay, where the water is apt to 

 stagnate, and is common byway-sides; flowering from June 

 to September. Ray observes, that in his time, about Settle 

 in Yorkshire they called the roots Moors, and that during the 

 winter the boys dug them up and ate them : he adds, that 

 he was a witness to swine devouring them greedily ; and that 

 an apothecary in that neighbourhood assured him that they 

 had a sweet taste like Parsneps. The common people in 

 Scotland frequently eat them either roasted or boiled. In the 

 islands of Tyrie and Col they are much esteemed, as answer- 

 ing in some measure the purposes of bread, and have been 

 known to support the inhabitants for months together during 

 a scarcity of other provisions. In their barren and impover- 

 ished soils, and in seasons wherein their crops succeed the 

 worst, the roots of the Moor Grass never fail to afford a sea- 

 sonable relief. The leaves are mildly astringent; dried and 

 powdered, they have been successfully administered in agues: 

 The usual dose is a table-spoonful of the powder every three 

 hours between the fit. The roots are more astringent than 

 the leaves, and may be given in powder, in doses of a scruple 

 or more, in obstinate purgings, attended with bloody stools, 

 and immoderate menstrual discharges. A strong infusion 

 of the leaves stops the immoderate bleeding of the piles ; and 

 sweetened with a little honey, it is an excellent gargle for 

 sore throats. Cattle, horses, goats, hogs, and geese, eat 

 it ; sheep only decline it. The leaves resemble Wild Tansey 

 so much, that it is called Wild Tansey. It is a common 

 weed, and increases fast by roots and runners. 



2. Potentilla Sericea ; Silky Cinquefoil. Leaves bipinnate, 

 tomentose on both sides; segments parallel, approximating; 

 stems decumbent. The habit of the leaves is that of the pre- 

 ceding, although they are very small, but it has the stem and 

 fructification of the eighteenth species. Native of Siberia. 

 This, like most of the following species, is easily increased 

 by seeds, or parting the roots, or both. Autumn is the time 

 for sowing, parting, and transplanting. 



4. Potentilla Multifida ; Multifid Cinquefoil. Leaves bipin- 

 nate; segments quite entire, distant, tomentose underneath; 

 stem decumbent. The habit shews much affinity with the 

 twelfth species. Native of Siberia. 



5. Potentilla Fragarioides ; Ktrawberry -leaved Cinqwfoil. 

 Leaves pinnate and ternate, the outer larger; runners cieep- 

 ing. Native of Siberia. 



5. Potentilla Rupestris ; Rock Cinquefoil. Leaves lyrate, 

 pinnate, in sevens, fives, and threes ; leaflets ovate, serrate, 

 hairy ; stem erect. Native of several parts of Europe and 





