Th BRITISH HERBAL 
35 
(Gy E 2 N 
Us IV. 
FLOWERING RUSH. 
BUITOMUS. 
Tes leaves are long and narrow. The flowers are difpofed in a kind ‘of umbel which has a 
three-leaved cup. Each confifts of fix petals, three larger within, and three {maller without, 
and fix capfules for the feeds follow the flower. 
Linnzus places this among his Enneandria, becaufe its flower has nine filaments in the centre; fepa« 
rating it by feveral claffes from the globe-flower an 
veffels fhew it manifeftly belongs. 
d marth marygold, to which its flowers and feed-. 
There is but one known fpecies of this genus, and that is a native of Britain. 
We fee this clafs not only comprehends fewer genera than many others, but that feveral of thofe 
have but a fingle fpecies: 4 
The Flowering Ruth. 
Buiomus, 
The root confifts of a multitude of long, flen- 
der and tough fibres joined to a fmall head: ma- 
ny of thefe heads grow together, fo that one 
clufter of the roots will be extreamly large. 
From thefe rife together the leaves and ftalks’ 
thefe form a kind of bulbous bottom, and the 
leaves furround one another, as well as the ftalk, 
to fome height ; after this they feparate; and they 
are long and narrow: they are not flat, but of a 
three cornered fhape, and are thick, and full of a 
light, loofe pith. Their colour is a bluith green, 
and they are fharp at the points. 
he ftalk is tall and naked. It rifes from the 
centre of a clufter of leaves, and is three or four 
foot high. It is round, {mooth, thick, and full 
of pith, : 
The flowers ftand in a large tuft at the top, 
Ge EN 
and thefe are moderately large, and very beauti- 
ful. They confift each of fix fhort, obtufe, and 
roundifh petals, and are of a delicate pale red 
colour. They have two fets of threads in the 
centre, fix which ftand outward, and three with- 
in them; and on thefe are buttons, formed each 
of two lamella or plates. In the centre of thefe 
are fix rudiments, which, after the fower is fallen 
become the fruit. 
Thefe capfules are oblong, erect, and open in- 
wards. They are each compofed of a fingle piece, 
whereas thofe of the others ufually are of two, 
The feeds are oblong and obtufe. 
It is’ not uncommon with us in waters ; 
flowering in June. ' 
J. Bauhine calls it Juncus floridus. C, Bau- 
hine, Funcus floridus major. 
We have no account of its virtues, 
U, aeSasitinVe 
STARRY WATER PLANTAIN,. 
DAMASONIU™. 
HE flowers confift of three petals. The feeds are contained in capfules, feveral of which fuc- 
ceed every flower. 
Linneus places this among the hexandria polygynia, making it a fpecies of water plantain, under 
the name ali/ina. 
This was an early error, and we are to call the name water Plantain a very impro- 
per one, though the addition of f2arry makes a plain diftin@ion. 
We have been ufed to wonder that the common Englifh writers named this as a {pecies of that genus ; 
but our furprife muft be greater when we {ee this writer fall into the fame confufion. Its feed-veftels 
plainly diftinguith it from the water plantains properly fo called, and refer it se this clafs, to which 
they do not belong. 
There is but one known fpecies of this genus, and that is a nativegly Baia. 
Pee 
Starry Water Plantain. 
Damafonium. 
The root confifts of numerous long and flender 
fibres. 
The leaves are numerous. They ftand on 
footftalks of three or four inches in length, and 
are oblong, broad, and often fplit at the ends. 
The ftalks rife in the centre of the tuft, and 
are eight or ten inches in length, irregular in their 
growth, much branched, and not very upright. 
They are round, thick, and flefhy. 
The flowers ftand in clufters at their tops, and 
in other parts: they have each along flender pe- 
dicle, and are {mall and white. 
4 
The feeds follow enclofed in capfules fix after 
every flower. .Thefe are difpofed in a radiated 
manner, fo as to refemble the figure of a ftar; 
and thence the plant had its name ffarry 3 as it 
had that of water plantain from fome refemblance 
of the leaves to thofe of that plant. : 
It is common in fhallow muddy waters and 
about ditch fides. The leaves fometimes float 
upon the water, at other times they ftand dry. 
It flowers in July, and the feed-veffels foon 
follow. : 
J. Bauhine calls it Damafonium feellatum dalef- 
campii. C. Bauhine and moft others, Plantago 
aquatica fiellata. 
We have no account of its virtues, 
GENUS 
