62 Th BRITISH HERBAL, 
placed in a fall cup, and are divided into five 
long and narrow fegments. 
The feed-veflels are long, fwelled at the bot- 
tom, and fplit a little at the top. 
It is a native of Germany and other parts of 
the north of ‘Europe; and flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Gentiana major lutea.» Ca- 
merarius and others, fimply, Gewtiana; and fome, 
from the fegments ‘of the-lower being fpread like 
the rays of a ftar, Afterias. } 
This is the fpecies whofe root is the true and 
proper gentian kept by the druggifts. 
It is an excellent ftomachick, and is the prin- 
cipal ingredient in bitter tinétures. It (trengthens 
the ftomach, promotes an appetite, and affifts di- 
geftion. This root, orange-peel, and cardamom 
feed infufed in wine or water, either way, make 
an excellent family bitter. 
This is its common ufe; but befides this, it 
ftands recommended againft malignant fevers, and 
diforders rifing from obftruétions in the vifcera: 
-and it is alfo good againft worms, and in. in: 
termittent fevers. j 
| The beft tincture of it is that in white wine. 
cy Crofs-leaved Gentian. 
entiana foliis cruciatim difpofitis. 
IP 
The root is long, thick, and divided into  fe- 
veral parts. 
The firft leaves are long and broad; they rife 
in large tufts, and have no footftalks. 
The flalks are numerous, round, firm, up- 
right, and eight inches high. 
The leaves are placed in pairs without foot- 
ftalks, and furround the ftalk at their bafe : they 
are broad, nervous, of a deep green, and “fharp- 
pointed; and the pairs ufually are placed crofswife 
of one another. 
The flowers ftand in a thick clufter at the tops 
of the ftalks, and are fmall and blue: they are 
tubular, and divided into four fhort fegments. 
The feed-vefie! is oblong, flender, and fplit at 
the top, and the feeds are fmall. 
It is common in the northern parts of Europe, 
and flowers in July. : 
C. Bauhine calls it Gentiana cruciata. Came- 
rarius, Gentiana minor. 
The root has the fame tafte, and probably the 
fame virtues, with the common gentian. It is 
greatly recommended in peftilential fevers. 
4. Great blue Gentian 
Gentiana major flore ceruleo. 
N 
The root is long, large, and divided into fe« 
veral parts. 
The leaves that rife from it are long and broad: 
they have no footftalks : they are of a deep green 
colour, and firm fubftance, undivided at the 
edges, and fharp-pointed. 
The ftalks rife in the centre of this tuft, and 
are firm, upright, and two feet high. 
The leaves are long and large; they refemble 
thofe from the root, but are of a paler green 
and of a fofter fubftance : they have no footftalks, - 
and they are ribbed lengthwife, like thofe of. the 
&reat gentian: they ftand in pairs, and enclofe 
the ftalk at the bottom. 
The flowers grow from the bofoms of the 
leaves, from the middle to the top, and not un- 
frequently from the root up to the top, generally 
two upon each footftalk : they are large, and of 
a beautiful blue, tubular, and divided into five 
parts at the edge, 
The feed-veffel is long and flender, and con- 
tains a great quantity of fmall feeds. 
It is a native of Germany, and flowers in 
June. : 
C. Bauhine calls it Gentiana afclepiadis folio: 
GEN) Ue oe ae 
COPING TT AUTRE Yo 
CENTAURIUM. 
HE flower is {mall, and confifts of a fingle petal, which is of a tubular form, 
into feveral :fegments at the edge. The feed-veffel is lender, oblong, 
and leaves are tender. 
Linneus places this among his pentandria digynia, 
tobe adifting genus. But, though it agrees with gentian in the ftru€ture of 
ciently in its whole form and fubftance ; the {talks of the gentians being 
tough and nervous; whereas thofé of the centaury are tender, he 
Many authors call this genus centaurinm minus, 
DIVIST:ON 4 
1. Little Centaury. 
Centaurium minus vulgare. 
The root is {mall, long, divided into many 
parts, and furnifhed with numerous fibres. 
The firfl leaves rife in a tuft: they are oblong, 
Small centaury, havin 
taury to a plant altogether unlike it, and of a diftin& clafs, 
and is divided - 
and fingle. The ftalks 
making it a fpecies, of gentian, not allowing it 
the flower, itdiffers fui. 
hard and rigid, and their leaves 
as in the generality of other plants. 
ig given the name of great cen- 
BRITISH SPECIES. 
broad, fmooth, 
no footftalks, 
The ftalks rife among thefe, and are numerous, 
fender, upright, eight inches high, and of a 
yellowith colour. 
The leaves ftand in pairs on them, 
of a pale green colour, and have 
and have 
no 
