OULPIPBR'B OOXPLBTX HDliiAX.. 323 



SCABIOUS (DEVIL'S BIT.)— (^>ScaWo*a Succita,) 



Callkd also The Blae Devil's Bit 



Descrip. — The lower leaves are rough and hairy, four or 

 five inchea long, an inch or more broad, sometimes deeply 

 cut in, and often almost whole, without any incisions, on 

 breaking asunder, drawing out into long threads. The 

 stalks grow to be two or three feet high, round and hairy, 

 having two smaller and more finely cut leaves set at a joint, 

 and on their tope are placed the flowers, which are of a 

 fine cerulean blue. 



Place. — It may be found in dry fields, but it is not so 

 plentiful as the Field Scabious. 



SCABIOUS (FlEluD.y-CKnautia Arvensis.) 



Descrip. — This rises with many hairy, soft, whitish green 

 leaves, some a little torn on the edges, others much rent on 

 the sides, and have threads, which are seen upon breaking, 

 from which rise up hairy green stalks, three or four feet 

 high, with such like hairy n-een leaves on them, but more 

 deeply and finely divided, branched forth a little ; at the 

 tops, which are naked of leaves for a good space, stand 

 round heads of flowers, of a pale blueish colour, set toge- 

 ther in a head, the outermost are lar^^er than the inward, 

 with many threads in the middle, flat at the top, as is the 

 head with the seed; the root is i^reat, white and thick, grow- 

 ing down deep into the ground, and abides many years. 



Place. — It grows in meadows, especially about London. 



SCABIOUS (LESSER FIELD,}— {Scabiosa Columharia,) 



This is like the Devil's Bit but smaller. The Corn Sca- 

 bious is greater in all respects than the Field, its flowers are 

 more inclined to purple. The roots creep under the upper 

 crust of the earth, not so deep as the the first one does. 



place. — It grows in standing corn, or fallow-fields. 



Time.—rli flowers in June and July, and some abide 

 flowering until it be late in August ; and the seed is ripe 

 in the mean time. 



Oovemment and Virtites. — Mercury owns the plant It ia 

 effectual for all sorts of coughs, shortness of breath, and 

 all other diseases of the breast and lungs, ripening and 

 digesting cold phlegm, and other tough humour, voiding 

 them forth by coughin;^ and spitting ; it ripens all aorta ci 

 kiward nWn and impuflthumes ; plenriiy also. If the (W- 



