Eiighiiid, Scotliiiul, In Iniul. I\ rt'iinial. Summer, Autiiuin. 



Iiootstock with sliortl}- cRcpiii^ horizontal branches terminating in 

 tiitts of leaves, which have tlie petiole often longer tlian the lamina, 

 which is 1 to 3 inches long, more or less cordate at the base, obtuse. 

 Flowering steins from innnediatily below the rosette of radical leaves; 

 rather stout and rigid, :) inches to 3 feet high, with few jtairs of leaves, 

 the uppermost jiair distant from the spike and sometimes, but very 

 rarely, witli branches terminating in spikes in tiieir axils. Stem leaves 

 few, smaller and more parallel-sided tlian the radical leaves, becoming 

 narrower, more acute, and Avith shorter stalks the higher they are 

 ]>laccd on the stem. Spike 1 to 3 inches long; the pair of bracts at its 

 base longer tlian the calyx, strapsliaped, deeply serrate, the otiier pairs 

 of bracts much smaller and entire or nearly so. Calyx ij inch long. 

 Corolla I inch long, dark purplish red, hairy externally; upptr lip 

 erect, very slightly concave internally; lower lip 3-lobcd, with the 

 central lobe round, crenate or sometimes emarginate ; which last form, 

 however, has not been observed in Britain, either by I'rofessor Uabington 

 or by myself. Plant deep green, inore or less clothed with hairs ; the 

 stem anil peduncles hairy with adpressed-deflexed hairs, but both on 

 the stem and leaves the degree of pubescence is very various. 



Mr. Ciiai'les l)ayley has sent me I'rom Cornwall a dwarf form with 

 decumbent stems. 



Wood Betony. 



French, Hpiairc des champs. German, Fehhicst. 



The common name of tliis plant, according to Dr. Prior, is said by Pliny to have 

 been first called VelUynica, from the Vettoncs, a people of Spain ; but modem 

 authors treat this derivation with givat contempt, and resolve the word into the 

 primitive or Celtic form of bi'ti- (ahead), and ton (good), it buing good for complaints 

 in the head. An old proverb says, " Sell your coat and buy betony," expressing the 

 high admiration in which our forefathers held this plant. " He has as many \-irtues 

 as betony," is the saying of the Spaniard, with whom the herb was in great repute 

 at one time. In addition to its medicinal virtues, the betony was fonnerly supposed 

 to be endowed with great power against evil spirits. On this account it was carefully 

 planted in churchyards ; and hung round the neck as an amulet or charm, sancti- 

 fj-ing, a.s Ei-asmus tells us, " those that carried it about them," and being also " good 

 against fearful visions." Culpepper, in his " Herbal," gives us a long list of the 

 excellences of this plant, saying, " These are some of the many -vnrtucs Antony 

 Musa, an expert phj-sician (for it was not the practice of Octavius Ca?sar to keep 

 fools about him), appropriates to betony. It is a very precious herb, that is certain, 

 and most fitting to bo kept in a man's house, both in syrup, conserve, oyl, oyntment, 

 and plaister." It was largely cultivated in the physic gardens both of the apothe- 

 caries and the monasteries, and may still be found growing in the ground about the 

 sites of these ancient buildings. Even at this date there are differences of opinion 

 as to its real virtues, and it is not without its adherents. It enters into the com- 

 position of a certain kind of snuff, known as " cephalic snuff," said to be useful in 

 headache. 



