LAPPA — BURDOCK. 



185 



A perennial lierli, 1 to 2^ feet high. R;i(li'"il leaves orbicular or round- 

 ish-ovate, mostly cordate, crenatc-serrato, petiolate ; the lower t;auliiu! 

 lyrate, the upper lanceolate, cut-i)innatilid, sessile or partly clasping. 

 Heads in an umbel-like corymb, appearing in May and June. A very va- 

 riable species. 



Habitat. — In swamps, marshes, and wet places ; common everywhere. 



Part C'fied. — The entire plant — not official. 



(JondU lie Ills. — Unknown. 



rirpamtiimn. — Commonly employed in decoction. There are commer- 

 cial fluid extracts and a so-called senecin. 



Medical Properties and Use/f. — Said to be diaphoretic, diui-etic, tonic, and 

 emmenagogue. Considerably used and praised — by eclectics. 



Several other sjiecies of senecio are said to possess similar properties. 



LAPPA.— BuuDocK. 



Lappa officinalis Allioni. — Burdock. 



DeacriptioH. — Heads many-flowered; the flowers all tubular, pei*fect, 

 the corolla regularly S-ch'ft, 10- 

 nerved. Involucre globular, the 

 imbricated scales coriaceous and 

 ajjpressed at the base, subulate 

 and sjireading above, tipped 

 with a hooked appendage. Ito- 

 ccpiacle flat, flosliy, and some- 

 what 1)ristly. Achenia oblong, 

 compressed, glabrous, wrinkled 

 transversel}'. Pai)ims of numer- 

 ous short rough bristles, not 

 united at the base, deciduous. 



A coarse, ill-scented, bien- 

 nial herb, 1 to 4 feet high. 

 Lower leaves v(?ry large, cor- 

 date, slightly undulate on the 

 margins, more or less tomen- 

 tose beneath, smoother above ; 

 the upper ovate. Heads rela- 

 tively small, solitary or some- 

 what corymbose ; flowers pur- 

 ple, varying to white, appear- 

 ing from July to autumn. 



Habit at 

 where. 



Parts Used.— The root— United States Pharmacopoeia. 

 also employed, but are not official. 



}'\ '- '^-'■'•'iff'- 



'Pia. 137— Lappa onicinaliB. 



Introduced from Europe ; common in waste places every- 



The seeds oi'e 



