44. The 
BRIT IIS: HiEMR! BoA L. 
Gee, ON eh te GS 
Xi. 
STAVESACRE, 
SF AVPOH TSA “GOR TOA. 
HE leaves are thick, palmated, or divided into broad fegments from their footftalk, and in 
the whole of a rounded figure. 
The flowers confift of ‘five petals; the upper one of which 
is obtufe in the-fore part, and runs behind into a fpur: the feeds are contained in capfules, three 
fucceeding every flower. 
Linnzus places this among the polyandria trigynia, and makes it a'fpecies of larkfpur. 
The flower indeed differs little from that of the larkfpur, but the'leaves fufficiently, 
Stavefacre has been called ‘by that diftin& name among the antients, and has peculiar virtues, — 
which are not found in larkfpur: wherefore, in works intended for utility, the diftin@ion fhould 
be preferved and fupported, fo far as nature gives foundation. ; ¢ 
Stri@tly, that digitated larkfpur defcribed laft but.one, might be called a kind of Stavefacte. The 
authors who have named it, we fee know not well to what genus to refer it; 
this, a genus diftinguifhed froin larkfpur by broad digitated leaves ; 
T have not named that larkfpur a Stavefacre; that is, 
have not called /ravefacre a lark{pur, 
has not the qualities of favefacre. 
and it beft belongs to 
but for the fame reafon that I 
becaufe it 
The confiderate reader will fee in this inftance how far the ftri@nefs of method is to be indulged in 
works of this kind, and where it is to be _made free with. There is no way befides to write at once 
{cientifically and ufefully. 
Of this genus therefore, thus diftinguithed, 
tain, except in gardens. 
Stavefacre. 
Staphifagria.' 
The root is long, thick, woody, and furnifhed 
with many fibres. 
The leaves that rife from it are fupported on 
Jong, thick, pale, and fomewhat hairy foot- | 
flalks: they are large, of a deep unpleafant 
green, and divided down to the ftalk, into five, 
fix, or more broad indented fegments, 
The ftalk is round, thick, upright, two feet 
and a half high, and very much branched. 
Its leaves ftand irregularly, and in fhape re- 
femble thofe from the root. 
The flowers ftand in long fpikes at the tops 
of the branches; and are large, and of a dufky 
blue. They much refemble the flowers of the 
larkfpur; but they are larger. 
The feeds are contained in capfules, three of 
which ufually, and fometimes four, follow every 
flower. 
Gis k 
Noi JUS 
there is but one fpecies, which is not known in Bri- 
They are large, hard, and rough. 
It is common in the Levant, and in many of 
the warmer parts of Europe, and thrives very 
well in our gardens. 
Linneus calls it Delpbivinm nefariis diphyll;s 
Soliis palmatis lobis integris. C. Bauhine, and: 
others, from the days-of Theophraftus, Staphis- 
agria. 
The druggifts keep the feeds of Stavefacre : 
they haye been given in {mall dofes as a purge in 
dropfies, and other defperate diforders 3 but they 
are very rough. 
Some chew them in the tooth-ach, in which 
cafe they bring a great deal of water into the 
mouth, and fometimes are of fervice ; but their 
greateft ufe is among the vulgar, for deftroying 
vermin in their childrens heads 3 for this purpofe 
they have the feeds coarfely powdered, and ftrew 
them on; and this never fails, : 
XIL e. 
WHITE -DITT any. 
FRAXINELELA 
HE flower confifts of five petals, three of which turn upwards, 
it ftands in a fmall five-leaved cup. The feeds are contained in capfules ; 
every flower, and grow together. 
Linnzeus places. this among the decandria monogynia, 
others ; 
and which we fhall defcribe in its place : 
ticus ; and they know nothing elfe by that name. 
fufion ; wherefore it was wholly difufed. ‘This 
that a fpecies of origanum, 
but he takes away its ufual and antient name Sraxinella, and calls it di, 
Wrong, in that it introduces at the fame time confufion 
the druggifts and apothecaries as the name of another plant, 
this they call from the place of its g¥oWch, 
and two or three fideways ; and 
five of which follow 
and allows it to be a genus diftin& from al} 
! tamnus, This is doubly 
DiGamnus is underftood among 
the leaves of which are ufed in medicine, 
Difamuus Cre. - 
and error. 
There were fome at one ti ho called th 
~of fraxinella, diffamnus albus but the leaves ofthe other dittany being alfo white Melt toe 
> this.created con- 
wh : author, in the too violent {pirit of ref i ; 
brought itin again; and with refpect to the other plait called dittany, cons CUM 
/ ‘ Ley ~ 
the diffamnus Creticus, he makes 
a 
All 
