TAN 



OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



TAN 



647 



Shade them until they have taken root, and frequently refresh 

 them with water. When they have good roots, take them up 

 with balls of earth, and plant them in pots, placing them 

 among other hardy exotic plants, where they may remain till 

 late in October. They only require shelter from hard frost ; 

 and need fresh air in mild weather. 



2. Tanacetum Sibiricum; Siberian Tansy. Leaves pin- 

 nate ; segments linear, filiform ; corymbs smooth ; stem her- 

 baceous ; flowers bright yellow. Native of Siberia. 



3. Tanacetum Incanum; Hoary Tansy. Leaves bipinnate, 

 tomentose ; corymb ovate, compound ; flowers yellow, turned 

 upwards. Native of the Levant. 



4. Tanacetum Cotuloides; Chamomile-like Tansy. Leaves 

 tooth-pinnate, acuminate ; stem very much branched ; flowers 

 subpanicled. This is an annual plant, which has the appear- 

 ance of Cliamomile. Native of the Cape. 



5. Tanacetum Annuum; Annual Tansy. Leaves bipinna- 

 tifid, linear, acute ; corymbs tomentose. Stem stiff but her- 

 baceous, two or three feet high, sending out many side- 

 branches their whole length ; the branches are terminated by 

 clusters of bright yellow flowers. The whole plant has a fine 

 aromatic scent. Native of Spain and Italy. It is propagated 

 by seeds, and will thrive in the open air. 



6. Tanacetum Monanthos ; One-flowered Tansy. Stem 

 quite simple, one-flowered, length of the leaves; corolla 

 yellow. Annual. Native of the Levant. 



7. lanacetum Vulgare ; Common Tansy, or Ale-cost. 

 Leaves bipinnatifid, gash-serrate, naked. Root fibrous, creep- 

 ing to a great distance ; stems upright, two or three feet high, 

 and sometimes four feet in a garden. The whole herb is 

 bitter and aromatic : the flowers are in terminating corymbs, 

 of a golden colour, and flattish. According to Bergius this 

 plant is tonic, stomachic, anthelminthic, emmenagogue, and 

 resolvent; qualities usually attributed to bitters of the warm 

 or aromatic kind. Dr. Clark informs u, that in Scotland it 

 was found to be of great service in various cases of gout ; 

 and Dr. Cullen says, I have known several who have taken it 

 without any advantage, and some others who reported that 

 they had been relieved from the frequency of the fits. A 

 strong infusion of the fresh leaves removes obstructions, 

 increases the urinary discharge, and gently promotes the 

 menstrual one. The flowers dried, powdered, and mixed 

 with treacle, are a common medicine among country people 

 for the worms, and they visibly destroy them. It may be 

 given ki powder to the quantity of a drachm or more, for a 

 dose, but it has been more commonly taken in infusion, or 

 drunk as tea. The tender leaves are sometimes used to give 

 a colour and flavour to puddings ; and the Finlanders employ 

 it in dying green. If meat be rubbed with this plant, the 

 flesh-fly will not attack it. Cows and sheep are reputed to 

 eat, and horses, goats, and hogs, to refuse it. There are 

 three varieties : one with a curled leaf, which is called Double 

 Tansy by gardeners ; another with variegated leaves ; and a 

 third with larger leaves, which have little scent. It is easily 

 propagated by the creeping roots, which, if permitted to remain 

 undisturbed, will in a short time overspread the ground. The 

 slips therefore should be placed at least a foot asunder, and 



beds where the paths round them may be often dug, to 

 ep their roots within bounds. They may be transplanted 

 either in spring or in autumn, and will thrive in almost any 

 soil or situation. If this plant be wanted early in spring, make 

 a gentle hot-bed in December, and plant the old roots thereon, 

 without dividing them; covering the bed with hoops and 

 mats in cold weather. The second species is thus treated. 



8. Tanaoetum Balsamita; Costmary. Leaves ovate, entire, 

 serrate. Roots hardy, fleshy, creeping ; the stems rise two 



VOL. n. 120. 



sup 



Si 



or three feet high ; the flowers are produced at the top of the 

 stems, in a loose corymb, they are naked, of a deep yellow 

 colour, appearing in August, but are not succeeded by seeds 

 in England. The whole of this plant emits a soft pleasant 

 odour, and is pleasanter and more aromatic than Common 

 Tansy. Like the preceding species it was formerly put into 

 ale, and hence both have been called Ale-cost. A strong 

 infusion of the leaves is good in disorders of the stomach and 

 head ; and has been much celebrated for its efficacy in remov- 

 ing obstructions of the menses, and the several complaints 

 to which the sex are liable in consequence thereof. It is 

 easily propagated by parting the roots in autumn. Where 

 it is planted for use, the slips should be set in beds, at two 

 feet distance every way : in two years the roots will meet ; 

 every other year, therefore, they should be parted and trans- 

 planted to keep them within compass. They will thrive in 

 almost any soil or situation, but abide longest in dry land. 



9. Tanacetu-m Flabelliforme ; Fan-leaved Tansy. Corymbs 

 simple ; leaves deltoid, serrate at the tip. It flowers from 

 May to August, at the Cape. 



Tantecium; a genus of the class Didynamia, order Angio- 

 spermia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth one- 

 leafed, tubular, truncate, quite entire. Corolla : one-petalled, 

 long; tube cylindrical, widened above; border from erect 

 spreading, five-cleft, almost equal ; the two upper segments 

 approximating, less divided, nearly upright, the three lower 

 spreading a little, reflexed. Stamina: filamenta four, almost 

 equal, shorter than the corolla, bending in under the back of 

 the tube, with the rudiment of a fifth ; antheree two-lobed. 

 Pistil: germen placed on a fleshy ring, roundish; style 

 simple; stigma two-lobed. Pericarp: berry large, subpedi- 

 celled, globular or oblong, two-celled. Seeds: numerous, 

 oblong, angular, nestling. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: 

 cylindrical, truncate. Corolla: tubular, almost equal, five- 

 cleft ; rudiment of a fifth filamentum. Berry : corticose, two- 

 celled, many-seeded. The species are, 



1. Tansecium Jaroba. Lower leaves ternate, upper gemi- 

 nate; tendrils interpetiolary, terminating; stem scandent. 

 This rises with great ease to the tx>p of the tallest trees in the 

 woods, and then spreads a great way over the limbs of the 

 neighbouring trees, or bends again towards the ground ; 

 flowers white, short-lived ; berry very large, a foot long, 

 oval, pendulous, smooth, brittle when ripe. The Portuguese 

 call this plant Casca amargosa, on account of its bitterness. 

 Native of Jamaica. 



2. Taneecium Parasiticum. Leaves ovate, coriaceous ; stem 

 scandent, shrubby, rooting. This weakly plant generally sus- 

 tains itself by the help of the neighbouring trees, or is found 

 spreading upon the ground, where it does not meet with a 

 support. It is found in various parts of Jamaica. 



Tanners' Bark, is the bark of the Oak reduced into coarse 

 powder, to be used in tanning, or dressing of skins, after 

 which it is of great use in gardening : first, by its fermentation, 

 when laid in a proper quantity, the heat being always mode- 

 rate, and of long duration, which renders it very serviceable 

 for hot-beds ; and secondly, after it is well rotted it becomes 

 excellent manure for all sorts of cold stiff land, upon which 

 one load of tan is better than two of rotten dung, and will 

 continue longer in the ground. The use of this article for 

 hot-beds is not of long standing in England. The first was 

 used at Blackheath above a century ago, for the raising of 

 Orange-trees. Since that time the use of hot-beds has been 

 more general : they are now common in all gardens contain- 

 ing collections of tender exotics. The following are Mr. 

 Miller's directions concerning this bark, as it is connected 

 with the management of hot-beds. The tanners in some 

 8 B 



