74 BITING PKRSICAUIA. 



posed in lax, filiform, drooping spikes, which are lateral and ter- 

 minal, and furnished with scaly bracteae. The perianth (calyx) 

 is generally four-Iobed, inferior, persistent, and tinged with pink. 

 The stamens are six, with short filaments and roundish anthers. 

 The germen is superior, trigonous, compressed ; the styles are 

 two, united half way up, terminated by single stigmas. The 

 fruit is a compressed, triangular nut, containing a single seed. 

 Plate 4, fig. 4, (o) the calyx laid open to show the stamens ; 

 (6) the pistil ; (c) the seed magnified. 



This plant grows abundantly by the sides of lakes and 

 ditches in this country, and throughout the greater part of 

 Europe. It flowers from July to September. 



The specific name is a compound of the Greek vSu^, rvaier, 

 and the Latin piper, pepper ; of which there are synonymes in 

 many languages. 



Qualities and general Uses. — This plant has an acrid, 

 biting taste, slightly resembling that of peppermint, which is 

 supposed to reside in the glandular dots sprinkled over its sur- 

 face. It loses much of this property by drying, and like arum, 

 the acrimony is destroyed in the process of distillation. Ber- 

 gius remarks that the aqueous infusion is blackened by sulphate 

 of iron, — a sure indication of an astringent principle. It has 

 been used to dye woollen cloth of a yellow colour. It is not 

 eaten by any animal. In some parts of Germany they keep 

 this herb in their bed-rooms for the purpose of dispersing fleas, 

 as these insects, they say, will not come where it is. 



Farriers sometimes use this plant as an application to fungous 

 flesh, and ulcers in animals, and a drachm of the powder of the 

 dried herb given in honey is said to destroy a species of worm 

 which often proves fatal to sheep. 



Medical Properties and Uses. — The Biting Persicaria is 

 another of those plants which are discarded from modern prac- 

 tice. Its pungency has caused it to be employed as a rube- 

 facient to the skin, in the same manner as mustard. It was 

 highly commended for cleansing atonic ulcers and in gangrene. 

 The leaves infused in boiling water, or a strong decoction of 

 them, were also applied to tumours, bruises, and contusions. 

 Linnaeus *, states that the Norwegians use the recent herb as a 



* Flora Siiecica, p. 130. 



