FUAflTORV. 345 



are alternate, petiolate, doubly or trebly winged, smooth, of a 

 glaucous or cinereous green colour; the lobes plane, wedge- 

 shaped, cut, with linear-oblong obtuse segments. The flowers 

 are disposed in loose erect spikes opposite the leaves, with a 

 lanceolate acuminate bractea at the base of each pedicel. The 

 calyx consists of two lanceolate, acute, deeply toothed, deci- 

 duous sepals. The corolla is oblong, irregular, of a light rose 

 colour, spotted with purple at the summit, composed of four 

 irregular petals, the three upper connate at the base and spurred 

 below the middle, the lower one linear, free, greenish. The 

 filaments are combined in two parcels, each tipped with three 

 small roundish anthers. The germen is superior, ovate, sub- 

 compressed, smooth, surmounted by a subulate deciduous style, 

 the length of the stamens, and crowned with a capitate stigma. 

 The fruit is a small silicle, smooth, globose, retuse and umbili- 

 cate at the tip, indehiscent, valveless, and containing a single 

 seed. Plate 21, fig. 2, (a) corolla ; (b) calyx, stamens, and 

 pistil ; (c) the fruit; {d) the same cut transversely ; (e) seed. 



This species of Fumitory is very common in cultivated fields, 

 and by road-sides, in nearly the whole of Europe, whither it is 

 supposed to have been introduced from Asia or Greece. It 

 flowers throughout the summer. 



The generic name, derived from the Latin fumus, smoke, is 

 said by Pliny to have been given in reference to the effects of 

 the juice of this plant upon the eyes, causing a flow of tears as 

 it were smoke * ; but he seems to have borrowed this etymology 

 from Dioscorides, who calls it '/.oLirvog, smoke. It has also been 

 caWeA. fumus terrcc, earth smoke ; w'hich perhaps refers to the ap- 

 pearance of the foliage on a dewy summer morning, or as some 

 suppose to its peculiar smell. 



Qualities and general Uses. — Dambourney highly recom- 

 mends fumitory as a substitute for Dyer's Rocket {Reseda 

 Luteold) in dyeing- The plant is eaten by cows and sheep ; 

 goats dislike it, and horses totally refuse it. 



The odour of the bruised plant is herbaceous ; the taste dis- 

 agreeable, somewhat saline and bitter, augmented by drying. 

 It yields its virtues both to water and spirit. The aqueous in- 

 fusion is bitter, of a reddish colour, and assumes a brownish- 



* " Capnos . . . claritatem facit inunctis oculis, delachrjinationemque ceu 

 fumus, imde nomen." Hist. lib. xxv. c. 13. 



B B 



