276 ELECAMPANE. 



Description. — The root is perennial, thick, fleshy, branched, 

 brown or yellowish externally, and white within. The stem is 

 upright, firm, round, striated, branched, downy, and rises to 

 the height of four or five feet. The radical leaves are large, 

 often a foot long, petiolate, ovate-lanceolate, toothed, wrinkled, 

 traversed by many reticulated veins, of a deep green colour 

 above, whitish and cottony beneath ; the cauline leaves are 

 smaller, more acutely pointed, and sessile; both kinds are 

 alternate. The flowers are large, terminal, solitary, radiated, 

 and of a golden yellow colour. The involucre is confiposed of 

 several large, ovate, imbricated, downy scales, of which the ex- 

 terior are leafy. The florets of the ray are long, narrow, 

 spreading, tricuspidate, and pistilliferous ; those of the disk 

 are numerous, perfect, tubular, with a five-cleft limb. The 

 anthers are united into a cylindrical tube, with five acute teeth 

 above, and ten bristles at the base. The germen is oblong, 

 with a filiform cloven style and a bifid obtuse stigma. The 

 fruit is linear, quadrangular, and striated, with a simple sessile 

 pappus. The receptacle is nearly flat, naked, or slightly 

 scaly. Plate 16, fig. 4, («) floret of the centre or disk; (6) 

 floret of the circumference or ray ; (c) anthers, united into a 

 tube ; {d) summit of the style magnified. 



Elecampane is a native of moist meadows and pastures, 

 generally near houses. Though it is rather local, it is not 

 uncommon in the south and west of England, Ireland, and 

 Scotland. It is also indigenous to France, Italy, Germany, 

 Spain, Sweden, &c. It flowers in July and August. 



The generic name Inula, is said to be an alteration of sXsviov, 

 Helenium, which, according to the brilliant fancy of the ancients, 

 sprang from the tears of the renowned Helen. The common 

 name, Elecampane, is a corruption of the old Latin term for 

 the plant, Enula camjmna*. It is well described by Dios- 

 coridesf, and some imagine that the Panax Chironium of 

 Theophrastus :|: refers to this plant. Horace alludes to it more 

 than once : — 



" Erucas virides, inulas ego primus amaras 

 Monstravi incoquere." — Sal. 8. I. 51. 



* Enula campana reddit prtecordia sana. - Schola Salem, c. 40, p. 457. 

 t De Mat. Med. lib. i. c, 27, p. 22. 

 % Hist. lib. ix. c. 10. 



