668 



THL 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



THO 



7. Thlaspi Hirtum ; Hairy Bastard Cress. Silicles ellip- 

 tic-oblong, hairy, undotted, margined above ; stem-leaves 

 sagittate, villose. This is distinguished from the Campestre, 

 with which it has been confounded, by having the flowers 

 three times as large, the silicles longer and more hairy. 

 Native of Italy, the south of France, and of Austria. 



8. Thlaspi Campestre; Wild Bastard Cress, or Common 

 Mithridate Mustard. Silicles roundish, glandular, dotted, 

 margined above ; leaves sagittate, toothed, hoary. Root 

 annual, simple ; herb more or less pubescent ; stems a foot 

 or more in height, upright, round, very slightly angular; 

 flowers very small, and white, in long upright racemes. The 

 seed was formerly celebrated for many virtues, but the pre- 

 sent practice pays no attention to it. It is, however, a good 

 attenuant, and operates by urine. The leaves are of a hot, 

 drying, and cleansing nature; the juice of them, externally 

 applied, is a good lotion for old foul ulcers. This, as well 

 as the Arvense, has been used for the same purposes as 

 Mustard seed : it has not so much of the Garlic flavour as 

 the former. There are several varieties, one with smooth 

 broader leaves, not so tapering to a point, and smooth pods. 

 Another variety is soft like velvet to the touch, with the 

 silicles cottony in a slight degree. This has been observed 

 in Dartmoor. 



9. Thlaspi Montanum; Mountain Bastard Cress. Silicles 

 obcordate; leaves smooth; root-leaves somewhat fleshy, obo- 

 vate, quite entire ; stem-leaves oblong, embracing, subsagit- 

 tate ; corollas larger than the calix ; stem erect, a finger or 

 a hand, seldom a foot, high. The flowers at first form a small 

 umbel, but afterwards are drawn out into a long raceme; 

 calix brownish, with a white margin. Native of Germany, 

 Austria, the south of France, and Italy, on stony, mountain- 

 ous situations, flowering in April and May. 



10. Thlaspi Alpinum; Alpine Bastard Cress. Silicles 

 obcordate ; stem-leaves cordate, smooth, quite entirs ; petals 

 twice as long as the calix; stem simple. This small species 

 is hardly more than four or five inches high. It differs from 

 the next species in the size of the petals, and perennial root, 

 which is slender, ramified, and produces several circles or 

 roses of leaves, and afterwards several stems, which are 

 smooth, simple, of a pale green, and sometimes procumbent; 

 the leaves are alternate, ovate, smooth, and slightly pointed; 

 the flowers are of a moderate size, and milk-white, standing 

 in clusters on the top of each stem. Native of mountainous 

 situations in the south of Europe. 



11. Thlaspi Perfoliatum; Perfoliate Bastard Cress, or 

 Shepherd's Purse. Silicles obcordate ; stem-leaves sagittate- 

 cordate, embracing ; stem branched ; style very short ; root 

 annual, fibrous. It flowers in April and May. Native of 

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

 and England. Found among the stone-pits between Witney 

 and Burford. 



12. Thlaspi Alpestre; Dwarf Bastard Cress, or Shep- 

 herd's Purse. Silicles obovate, retuse, many-seeded ; stem- 

 leaves sagittate; stems simple; style stretched out. Root 

 very long, branched, commonly said to be perennial, but it is 

 probably only a biennial. Native of Germany, Switzerland, 

 Austria, the south of France, Italy, and England. It has 

 been noticed near Settle in Yorkshire, and Matlock in Der- 

 byshire, growing abundantly on the lime-stone rocks, and 

 about the lead-mines. It flowers in June and July. 



13. Thlaspi Bursa Pastoris; Common Shepherd's Purse. 

 Hirsute : silicles deltoid-obcordate ; root-leaves pinnatifid. 

 Root annual, fibrous; stem about a foot high, upright, round, 

 branched, leafy, rough ; flowers in corymbs, lengthening out 

 into racemes ; petals white, a little longer than the calix, 



rounded at top. This plant, which grows naturally in most 

 parts of the world, is a strong instance of the influence of 

 soil and situation ; sometimes not being more than two or 

 three inches high when it flowers and perfects its seeds, 

 whilst in other situations it attains the height of as many 

 feet. On walls and in dry situations the root-leaves are more 

 deeply divided, and the segments become much narrower; in 

 cultivated ground, they are broader and less jagged ; in a 

 barren dry chalk, the plant becomes very small, with a single 

 undivided stem, and the leaves all entire. It is generally 

 found in flower in March and April, yet, like the Groundsel 

 and Poa Annua, may also be found flowering at almost any 

 time of the year. Dr. Withering observes, that this and other 

 species of this genus begin to flower long before they have 

 attained their full size; the flowers at first forming a corymb, 

 which after a while shoots out, and assumes the form of a 

 long spike-like raceme. The stem also, which is at first 

 simple, in time becomes branched; the first branches issuing 

 from its upper part. Small birds are very fond of the seeds. 

 The juice of the leaves is cooling and binding; two spoonfuls 

 of that, with one of red wine, taken frequently, is an excellent 

 medicine for overflowings of the menses, spitting of blood, 

 or other profuse evacuations of that vital fluid : so useful is 

 this common weed, which we every day trample under foot, 

 as if it was possessed of no good qualities. It is a common 

 weed in every garden, and increases so fast by seeds, that a 

 garden is not easily cleared when they are permitted to shed. 

 There are generally four crops annually from seed; it cannot 

 therefore be too diligently rooted out, which is easily accom- 

 plished by hoeing in dry weather. In fallows it is insignifi- 

 cant, and affords food for cattle and sheep. 



14. Thlaspi Ceratocarpon ; Siberian Bastard Cress. Very 

 smooth : stem grooved ; leaves sagittate, lanceolate, subser- 

 rate ; silicles two-lobed ; corymbs lengthened into racemes ; 

 flowers small, white. Native of the salt-plains of Siberia. 



15. Thlaspi Luteum; Yellow Sicilian Shepherd's Purse. 

 Silicle inversely heart-shaped, nearly orbicular ; leaves 

 toothed, the lowermost stalked, the rest stem-clasping; style 

 almost equal to the lobes of the seed-vessel. A small, 

 smooth, glaucous, annual plant, from one to three inches 

 high, with yellow flowers. Native of dry hilly places near 

 Palermo, flowering in April and May. 



Thoa; a genus of the class Moncecia, order Polyandria. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Male Flowers in spikes. Calix: 

 none. Corolla : none. Stamina : filamenta at the top of 

 each joint in the spike, numerous, short; antheree very small. 

 Female Flowers at the base of the spike, one on each side, 

 sessile. Calix: none. Corona: none. Pistil: germen ovate; 

 style scarcely any ; stigma three or four cleft, very small. 

 Pericarp: capsule oblong, brittle, one-celled. Seed : one, 

 oblong, in a brittle shell, covered with very small rigid pun- 

 gent bristles, weaved into a sort of dry aril. ESSENTIAL 

 CHARACTER. Calix and Corolla : none. Male. Stamina: 

 numerous, at the joints of the spike. Female. Germina: 

 two, at the base of the male spike, one on each side, sessile. 

 Stigma: three or four cleft. Seed : in a brittle shell, covered 

 with a bristly web. The only known species is, 



1. Thoa Urens. Leaves opposite, smooth, green, entire, 

 and oval, terminating in a sharp point; the largest are about 

 five inches and a half long, and about three inches wide. 

 The spikes of male flowers spring from the bosoms of the 

 leaves and the tips of the branches ; and on each side of the 

 base of the male flowers is a female one, each of which is suc- 

 ceeded by a smooth reddish capsule, under the bark of which 

 is found a dry substance composed of stiff recumbent bristles, 

 which separate easily, and cause a severe itching when rubbed 



