500 



RUM 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



RUM 



six inches long, and one inch, or somewhat more, broad. 

 This species is common about London, and is found in many 

 parts of England. 



15. Rumex Crispatulus. Plant hermaphrodite; little 

 valves obtusely heart-shaped, cristated on both sides, trident- 

 ated, one naked, two unequally graniferous; spikes aphil- 

 lous; lower leaves oval; upper leaves lanceolate; all the 

 leaves undulated. A native of Kentucky. 



16. Rumex Aquaticus ; Water Dock. Flowers hermaph- 

 rodite; valves ovate, entire, naked; according to Smith, 

 obsoletely graminiferous ; leaves cordate-lanceolate, acute. 

 Root large, striking deep in the mud, perennial; stems erect, 

 four or five feet long, angular, and strongly furrowed, leaves 

 a foot or more long, and four inches broad in the middle. 

 Native of Europe, in ditches, pools, and on the banks of 

 streams. The leaves, which manifest considerable acidity, 

 are said to possess a laxative quality, and have therefore been 

 used to obviate costiveness. The roots have been much em- 

 ployed both externally and internally for the cure of scurvy, 

 especially when the gums are spongy, and bleed. It is also 

 recommended in cutaneous irruptions, and in visceral ob- 

 structions, though many physicians think it does not pecu- 

 liarly differ from other astringents. It is, however, admitted 

 by most medical men, that a decoction of the root is of great 

 efficacy, either used externally as a wash for putrid spongy 

 gums, or taken inwardly in that and other scorbutic disorders. 

 It is likewise serviceable in the rheumatism, and in lingering 

 complaints arising from obstructions in the viscera. The 

 powdered root is an excellent thing to clean the teeth with, 

 and may be freely used without endangering the enamel. 



** Hermaphrodites ; having the valves destitute of a grain, 

 or naked. 



17. Rumex Bucephalophorus ; Basil-leaved Dock. Flowers 

 hermaphrodite ; valves toothed, naked ; pedicels flat, reflexed, 

 incrassated ; root conical, yellow, fibrous. Found in various 

 paris of Spain, Barbary, and Italy ; flowering in May. This 

 plant grows freely from seeds sown in a bed of light earth in 

 the spring, and kept perfectly free from weeds. 



18. Rumex Lunaria; Tree Sorrel. Flowers hermaphro- 

 dite ; valves even ; leaves subcordate ; stem suberous. The 

 flowers come out in loose panicles towards the ends of the 

 branches ; they are of an herbaceous colour, and sometimes 

 succeeded by triangular seeds within smooth covers ; but 

 the seeds rarely ripen in England. Native of the Canaries. 

 This is easily propagated by cuttings planted during any of 

 the summer months, in a bed of loamy earth, and shaded 

 from the sun until they have taken root. Then take them up 

 and plant them in pots filled with kitchen-garden earth, plac- 

 ing them in the shade till they have taken new root ; after 

 which move them to a sheltered situation with other hardy 

 ijreen-house plants till autumn, when they must be removed 

 into the green-house, and treated in the same way as other 

 plants requiring protection from frost. 



19. Rumex Vesicarius; Bladder Dock, or Sorrel. Flowers 

 hermaphrodite ; stalks mostly in pairs ; all the valves very 

 large, metnbranaceous, reflexed ; leaves undivided. A hardy 

 annual. Native of the Canary Islands. 



20. Rumex Rosens; Rose Dock. Flowers hermaphrodite, 

 distinct ; the wing of one of the valves very large, membra- 

 naceous, netted; leaves gnawn. The whole herb roughish, 

 with a sort of hoary mealiness. Annual. Native of Egypt 

 and Barbary. 



21. Rumex Tingitanus; Tangier Dock. Flowers her- 

 maphrodite, distinct; valves cordate, blunt, quite entire; 

 leaves hastate, ovate. Root perennial ; flowers in clustered 

 whorls, nodding. Native of Spain and Barbary. 



22. Rumex Scutatus ; French Sorrel. Flowers hermaph- 

 rodite, small, racemose, pendulous ; leaves cordate-hastate ; 

 stem round ; root hard, fibrous, perennial. This has a more 

 grateful acid than Common Sorrel, and is therefore preferred 

 for kitchen use, in soups, especially by the French. Native 

 of Germany, Switzerland, Italy, the south of France, and 

 Barbary. This is a great runner at the root, by which it is 

 easily propagated. The roots should be planted at the dis- 

 tance of two square feet. It will agree better with an open 

 situation than the common sort. If the flowers, stems, and 

 rambling branches, be cut off in the beginning of July, the 

 roots will soon put out new leaves, which wi'l be tender and 

 much better for kitchen use than the older leaves; so that by 

 cutting down the shoots of some "plants at different times, 

 there will always be a supply of young leaves. 



23. Rumex Nervosus ; Three-nerved Dock. Flowers her- 

 maphrodite; valves quite entire, naked; leaves oblong, three- 

 nerved; stem suffruticose. Found in Arabia. 



24. Rumex Digynus; Mountain Sorrel. Flowers hermaph- 

 rodite, two-styled ; valves ovate, entire, naked; leaves broadly 

 emarginate. Native of the mountains of Lapland, England, 

 Wales, Scotland, Switzerland, Silesia, Dauphiny, Piedmont, 

 and Siberia. Found in Westmoreland and Cumberland ; in 

 Yorkshire ; also upon Snowden in North Wales ; also upon 

 rocks by the sides of rivulets, which fall down from the high- 

 land mountains of Scotland ; and in the isles of Rum and 

 Skye. It requires a moist soil in a northern border. 



25. Rumex Lanceolatus ; Lance-leaved Dock. Leaves 

 lanceolate, reflex, margined ; stem angular. Native of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. 



'* With declinous, or male and female Flowers, separate. 



26. Rumex Alpinus; Alpine Dock, or Monk's Rhubarb. 

 Flowers barren, hermaphrodite and female; valves quite 

 entire, naked ; leaves cordate, obtuse, wrinkled. This plant 

 obtains its name from having been formerly used for the 

 same purposes as the true Rhubarb. It has a very large 

 perennial or biennial root, three or four inches in thickness, 

 branched, woody, yellow within, running horizontally. The 

 stem is two feet high, erect, leafy, round, furrowed, smooth; 

 and has the appearance of Rhubarb, with nearly the same 

 qualities in a less degree, so that a double dose must be 

 taken to produce the same effects.- Native of France, Swit- 

 zerland, Silesia, Piedmont, and Siberia. This is as hardy as 

 the Common Sorrel, and may be increased either by planting 

 the seeds or parting the roots. The plants ought to be at least 

 a foot distance from each other, especially in good ground. 

 The leaves are large and succulent, and, having a pleasant 

 acid taste, are very suitable for kitchen use. 



27. Rumex Spinosus; Prickly-seeded Dock. Flowers 

 androgynous; female calices one-leafed; outer valves reflexed 

 and hooked. Stem decumbent. It is an annual plant. 

 Native of the island of Candia or Crete. 



28. Rumex Tuberosus ; Tuberous-rooted Dock. Flowers 

 dioscous ; leaves lanceolate, sagittate; hooks spreading; root 

 with oval knobs. Native of Italy. 



29. Rumex Multifidus ; Multifid-leaved Dock, or Sorrel. 

 Flowers dioecous ; leaves hastate, with the earlets palmate. 

 Native of the mountains of Calabria, Tuscany, and the 

 Levant. 



30. Rumex Thyrsoides ; Thyrse-like Dock, or Sorrel. 

 Flowers dicecous ; panicle contracted in -najjner of a thyrse; 

 leaves hastate. Native of Barbary. 



31. Rumex Acetosa; Common Sorrel. Flowers difficoui; 

 valves graniferous ; leaves oblong, awl-shaped, their lobes 

 converging, sometimes notched. Root perennial, running 

 deep into the ground ; stem mostly simple, erect, round. 



