The, BiRa © 18 Hoe Ewan he 
2, Woolly-flowered Gentian. 
Gentiana flore lanuginofo. 
The root is fmall, woody, and divided into 
feveral parts: it is of a brownifh colour, and 
bitter tafte: there are long fibres produced from 
jt about the head, which creep under the fur- 
face, and fpread every way. 
The ftalk is flender, round, ftriated, ereét, and 
five or fix inches high, fometimes more, fometimes 
much lefs; for the plant varies greatly in fize. 
The leaves are long and narrow, but not alto- 
gether fo narrow as thofe of the preceding. They 
are of a frefh green, and ftand in pairs without 
footftalks. 
The flowers are large, and of a deep blue. 
They are divided into four fegments at the edge, 
andthereis adownynefs of a purplifh colour within. 
The feed-veflel is long, flender, and pointed ; 
and the feeds are very {mall. 
It is found in barren, chalky foils, but not 
common. It flowers in September. 
C. Bauhine calls it Gentiana pratenfis flore la- 
nuginofo, With us it does not grow in mea- 
dows, as that name feems to exprefs, When 
this plant grows larger from a good foil, the 
leaves acquire more breadth, and in this form it 
is defcribed by fome authors asa different fpe- 
cies, under the name of Gentianella fugax autum- 
nalis elalior centaurii minoris foliis; but this is 
merely a variety from more nourifhment. 
3. Little Spring Gentian. 
Gentianella pumila precox. 
The ont Is fmall, long, brown, and divided, 
and has a bitter tafte. 
DIVISION IL. 
‘1. Great-flowered Gentian. 
Gentiana latifolia magno flore. 
The root is fmall, yellowifh, divided into many 
parts, and furnifhed with fibres: itis of a bitter 
tafte, and firm texture. 
_ The leaves are broad and fhort: a tuft of 
them rife without footftalks from the root early 
in fpring, and foon after, the ftalks appear. 
Thefe are round, firm, brownifh, and five or 
fix inches high. 
They have numerous leaves ftanding in pairs, 
‘of the fame fhape, colour, and fubftance with 
thofe from the root: they are nervous, and of 
a brownifh green. 
The flower ftands at the tops of the ftalk, and 
is very large, and of a beautiful fky blue; it is 
tubular, and divided into five fegments at the 
edge, with white lines down their fides. 
The feed-veffel is long, and large, and fplits 
into two at the top. The feeds are fmall. 
It is frequent in Germany, and flowers in 
April. 
C. Bauhine calls it Gentiana alpina verna major: 
Others call it Hippion. We, Great-flowered £en- 
tian. 
Ne 6, 
The ftalks are numerous, and of a brownifh 
colour, rigid, firm, upright, but little branched, 
and from three to eight or ten inches in heights 
according to the degree of nourifhment they 
find, 
The leaves ftand in pairs pretty near to one 
another: they are oblong, broad, pointed at the 
ends, of a dufky green colour, and have no 
footftalks. 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the ftalks, 
fometimes fingly, fometimes two or three toge- 
ther: they are large, and blue, and are divided 
into five fegments at the edge. 
The feed-veffel is thick, and oblong, and the: 
feeds fmall and brown. 
It is common in hilly paftures, and flowers in 
April. 
This, like the former, varying in fize, has 
been divided, from that accident alone, into feve- 
ral imaginary fpecies. 
Columna calls it Gentianella purpurea mitima. 
Ray, Gentianella fugax verna five precox. 
Thefe three are the only fpecies of gentian 
we have native in Britain. They and the next 
to be defcribed are called by many gextianelle, 
from their fmallnefs in comparifon of the gentian 
ufed in medicine. $ 
They are all good ftomachicks, but inferior 
to that great kind. The country people make a 
very good bitter tincture from any of thefe, and 
orange peel fteeped in white wine, 
FOREIGN SPECIES. 
2. Great Gentian. | 
Getiana major lutea: 
The root is long and large, divided into feve. 
ral parts, and covered with a rough fkin. It ig 
brown on the outfide, yellow within, of a frm 
fubftance, atid very bitter tafte, 
The leaves that firft rife from it are large, 
oblong, broadeft in the middle, pointed at the 
ends, and without footftalks: they are of a 
deep green colour, and firm fubftance ; and have 
five large ribs running lengthwife of them, and 
no others of any note. ‘This is a particular 
mark, as it makes them refemble the leaves of 
plantain or white hellebore; the generality of 
plants having only one long and large rib in the 
leaf, and the others running obliquely from it. 
The ftalk rifes in the midft of this tuft of 
leaves, and is round, thick, fein upright, and 
three or four feet high. 
The leaves are numerous, and ftand in ahd 
in aline over one another; they are of the fame 
fhape and fubftance with thofe at the root, and 
having no footftalks, they furround the ftalk 
at the bafe. 
The flowers are very numerous, and yellow. 
They ftand in great tufts furrounding the ftalk, 
with a pair of leaves under every tuft: they are 
placed 
They 
