CULPBPEB'S OOMPLXTE HBBBiX. 381 



SAXIFRAGE (SMALL BTTRSlET.y^Fimptndla 

 Saxifraga Minor,) 



Descj-ip. — This has a round, slender root, divided into ae- 

 venl reddish branches, among which are found certain red 

 grains, which are called wild cochineal. The stalks are red, 

 angular, and branched; the leaves are oblong or roundish, 

 dented on the edges, in pairs on the ribs. The flowers grow 

 at the ends of the Btalks, in round heads, and consist of a 

 single petal, divided into four parts, of a purple colour; in 

 the middle is a tuft of long stamina; the flowers are of two 

 sorts, one barren, furnished with stamina, the other fruit- 

 ful, having a pistil This is succeeded by a quadrangular 

 fruit generally pointed at both ends, of an aah-colour when 

 ripe, containing oblong, slender T-eddish-brown seeds, with 

 an astringent and somewhat bitter taste. 



Place, — It resembles true -^xif rafije in its wild state, for 

 which it is often mistaken. It is cultivated in gardens. 



Time. — It flowers about the end of June, and the seed is 

 ripe about August. 



Oouemment and Virtues. — I is under the dominion of 

 the Moon. The whole plant is binding ; the leaves put into 

 wine give it a ^ood flavour and the young shoota make a 

 good salad. It is a cordial and promoter of sweat. The 

 root dried and powdered, stops purgings; and a strong de- 

 coction of it, or the juice of the leaves, is good for the same 

 purposes. In the composition of the Syrupus Attheas it is 

 generally used instead of the Great Burnet Saxifrage. 



SAXIFRAGE (WKlTE.)—( Scun/raga Alba.) 

 Descrip. — This has a few small reddish kernels of roots 

 covered with some skins, lying among small blackish fibres, 

 which send forth round, faint, or yellow green leaves, and 



§reyiBh underneath, lying above the ground, unevenly 

 ented about the etlges, and somewhat hairy, every one on 

 a little footstalk, from whence rise up round, brown, hairy, 

 green stalks, two or three feet high, with such like round 

 leaves as grow below, but smaller, and branched at the top, 

 whereon stand pretty large white flowers of five leaves 

 i-piece, with some yellow tlireads in the middle, standing 

 in a long created, brownish, green husk. After theflowei-s 

 &re passed, there rises a rouitd hanl bead, forked at the 

 top, wherein is contained Mmall black seed, but they often 

 fall away without seed, and it is the kernels of the root that 

 are usually called tb« White Sikxifiago-tieed, and 40 used. 



