338 TANSY. 



branched towards the summit, smooth, often tinged with purple, 

 and rise to the height of a foot, varying to two or three feet. 

 The leaves are numerous, alternate, amplexicaul, spreading but 

 little, bipinnatifid, with numerous deep, oblong, incised, and 

 serrated segments; the lowermost are doubly pinnate, with 

 trifid pinnae, decurrent on the petiole as far as the next leaflet ; 

 the whole are deep green, and destitute of pubescence, but 

 rough with excavated points, paler beneath. The flowers are 

 yellow, and constitute a terminal flat corymb. The involucre 

 is hemispherical, composed of numerous imbricated, appressed, 

 linear-lanceolate, acute scales, scariose at the summit. The 

 florets of the ray or circumference are few and inconspicuous, 

 and often wanting ; they are ligulate, three-toothed at the apex, 

 and contain merely a pistil. The florets of the disk are nu- 

 merous, forming a convex surface, each perfect, tubular, five- 

 cleft, including five stamens with united anthers, an oblong, 

 glabrous, naked germen, supporting a setaceous style, and a 

 bifid revolute stigma, rather longer than the corolla. The re- 

 ceptacle is convex and naked. The fruit (an achenium) is 

 small, obovate, or oblong, angular, crowned with a five-sided 

 membranous pappus, and containing a single seed. Plate 43, 

 fig. 4 ; (a) florets of the circumference and disk, magnified. 



This plant, so well known in gardens, is also found wild 

 in this country on hilly pastures, borders of fields, and road- 

 sides, generally in large patches, flowering in July and Au- 

 gust. 



The name Tanacetum is considered by Pliny * to be derived 

 from Tannacus, a synonyme of Parthenius: others think it 

 altered from athanasia. 



A variety with curled leaves is sometimes seen in gardens, 

 and has rather a more pleasant odour than the ordinary Tansy, 

 but is not superior as a medicinal plant. 



General Uses.— The young leaves of Tansy are shredded down and 

 employed to give colour and flavour to puddings, and as an ingredient in 

 omelets and cakes ; they have also been mentioned as a substitute for hops. 

 According to Withering, meat rubbed with this herb is effectually preserved 

 from the attacks of the flesh-fly ; it is likewise reputed to drive away bugs 

 from a bed in which it is laid. The Finlanders prepare with the expressed 



* Hist. lib. xxi. c. 30. 



