B E 



BEAR*;-EAR SANICLE ; -vide 

 Verbafcum. 



BEAR'^-FOOT j vUe Hellebo- 

 tns. 



BECABUNGAj rr Brook-lime. 



This is a Sort of Veronica ot 

 Water- Speed weU of which there 

 are two Sorts ; one with a long 

 Leaf, and the other round : They 

 are both very common in Ditches 

 and watery Places almoft every 

 where in England. 



BEE or Gnat-Flower 5 vUe 

 Orchis. 



BEECH TREE , vide Fagus. 



BELL FLOWER j vide Campa- 

 nula. 



BELLADONAi Deadly Night- 

 Shade. 



The Characters are i 



It hath a Bell-fljafd Flower con- 

 pfting of one Leaf, rohich is divided 

 into five acute Segments at the Top, 

 Each ofthefe Florvers is fucceeded by 

 tt globular, foft Fruit, which is 

 divided into two Cells, in which are 

 lodged the Seeds. 



We have but one Species of this 

 Plant common in England, which 

 is, 



Belladoma i majoribus foliis ^ 

 floribus. Tourn The common 

 Deadly Night-Shade. 



This Plant grows very common 

 in many Parts of England about 

 Farmers Yards, and in fhady Lanes, 

 but is never kept in Gardens, un- 

 lefs in thofe of Botanifts ; nor in- 

 deed (hould it be fuffer'd to grow 

 in any Places where Children refort, 

 for it is a flrong Poifbn, and there 

 have been feveral Inilances within 

 a few Years paft ot its deadly Qua- 

 lity, by feveral Children being kill'd 

 with eating the Berries, which are 

 of a fine black Colour, and about 

 th.t Size of a black Cherry, and not 

 unplcaiant to the Talle. 



Mr*. Kay gives a good Account of 



B E 



the various Symptoms it produce?, 

 by what happen'd to a Mendicant 

 Friar, upon his drinking a Glafs of 

 Mallow- wine, in which was this 

 Plant infus'd. In a fhort Time he 

 be<:ame delirious, foon after was 

 feized with a grinning Laughter, 

 after that, feveral irregular Motions, 

 and at lafl: a real Madnels fucceeded, 

 and fuch a Stupidity as thofe that 

 are fbttifhly drunk havej which, 

 after all, was cured by a Draught 

 of Vinegar. 



Th-ere is alio an Inftance of the 

 direful Effedts of this Plant recorded 

 in Buchanan's Hiftory of Scotland, 

 wherein he gives an Account of the 

 Deftru6lion of the Army of Sweno, 

 when he invaded Scotland, by mix- 

 ing a Quantity of the Juice of thefe 

 Berries, with the Drink which the 

 Scots by their Truce were to fup- 

 ply them with, which fo intoxica- 

 ted the Banes, that the Scots fell 

 upon them in their Sleep, and kil- 

 led the greateft Part of them, fo 

 that there were fcarcely Men enough 

 left to cyry off their King. 



This Plant being of fo deadly 

 Quality, fliould be extirpated where^ 

 ever it grows wild, before the Ber- 

 ries are ripe, to prevent the dan- 

 gerous Effe6ts which may happen 

 by their being eat. There are fome 

 Perfons who give a Reward an- 

 nually for deftroying all the Plants 

 which grow in their Pari flies ; and 

 Her Grace the Durchcfs of Marlbo- 

 rough, conftantly orders it to be 

 rooted out from her Park at Wood- 

 flock, where it formerly grew in 

 great Plenty. 



B ELLIS j the Daizie. 

 The Characters are ; 



It hath a perennial Root, the Stalks 

 are naked, and never branch out ; 

 the Calyx (^or Cup) of the Flower is 

 fcaly and Jtmple, divided into many 

 SegmmtSi almofi to the lootfialk 5 



