140 . IlOSACEyE. 



toothed. Flowers in slender, spiked racemes, appearing from July to 

 September. 



Habitat. — Borders of woods from Canada to Florida and westward. 

 Common in Europe also. 



Fart Used. — The whole plant — not official. 



Cons-'tittioiilx. — The only constituent thus far discovered in agrimony of 

 therapeutic importance is tannin, which exists in the projjortion of less 

 than five per cent. 



JWpamlion.^. — None are official— a decoction or infusion is efficient. 



Mi'dical Propcrth'M and C^c.^. — Agrimonia has been used considerably 

 in domestic practice in cases requiring simple vegetable astringents. 



GEUM.— AvKNS. 



Geum rivale Linne. — Water J/v??.?. 



J>cscripli.i>i). — C:ilyx deeply 5-cleft, the segments erect or spreading, 

 jxirplish. Corolla : petals 5, broadly obovate, emarginate, abru2)tly nar- 

 rowed into a claw about as long as the calyx, ligbt purplish-orange. Sta- 

 mens numerous. Achenia mimerous, gathered in a head upon a dry, coni- 

 cal receptacle ; styles articulated and bent in the middle, the upper part 

 plumose, the lower glabrous. 



An herbaceous perennial. Stems nearly simi^le, 1 to 3 feet high, re- 

 trorsely pubescent. 11 idical leaves lyrate and interruptedly pinnate ; those 

 of the stem trifoliate or trilobed. Flowers few, large, nodding, api^earing 

 in ]\Iay and June. 



Halfitat. — Bogs and wet mcadoAvs from Pennsylvania northward and 

 westward. Commo)i in Europe also. 



J\irtH Uise.d. — The rhizome and rootlets — not official. 



Conxtituenti^. — This jilant has not been analyzed, but it is believed to 

 possess constituents similar to those of Geian urbanum, a closely allied 

 European jilant, which contains volatile oil, tannin, and a bitter principle. 



Preparations. — None are official. Boiling »ater extracts its virtues. 



M'dical Properties and Vse.^. — Water avens is tonic and astringent. It 

 has been used chielly in relaxation of the mucous membranes. 



rOTENTILL A. — CiNQUE-FoiL. 



Potentilla Canadensis Linne. — Common Cinque-Foil, Five-Finger. 



I)e.<vrii)tton. — C.dyx Hat, deeply 5-cleft, with 5 bractlets alternating 

 with the segments, thus appearing 10-cleft. Corolla : petals 5, longer than 

 the calyx, broadly obovate or obcordate, yellow. Stamens numerous. 

 Achenia numerous, gathered in a 1 nd on a dry receptacle. 



A small annual or biennial, with decumbent, prostrate, or creejoing stems, 

 producing runners in summex'. Leaves u-foliate ; leaflets obovate-wedge- 



