The root is long, flender, divided, and fut-’ 
nifhed with fibres. — 
The ftalks are numerous, flender, round, and 
commonly redifh : they lie upon the ground, and 
take root at different places, thus fpreading into 
large tufts. 
The leaves are fhort, broad, ferrated, and 
fharp-pointed: they ftand.in pairs, and have no 
footftalks. 
The flowers are moderately large, of a pale 
GE 
rife from the bofoms of the leaves. 
The feed-veffel is oval, fmall, and fmooth., 
It is a native of Ireland; but is not found 
wild in England. It flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Campanulo ferpyllifolia; a 
name that does not very well exprefs the plant 5 
but moft other writers have copied ic, 
Nise) seers XV. 
BUCKBEAN. 
ME N Grd IN: THES: 
HIE flower confifts of a fingle petal, divided into five fegments, which are hairy: the fruit is a 
fingle capfule, of an oval figure, and undivided within: this ftands furrounded with the cup, 
‘on a ftalk. 
’ which is formed of a fingle leaf, divided into five fegments, and hairy within: the leaves ftand three 
Linnzus places this among the pentandria monogynia, the threads in each flower being five, and the 
rudiment of the fruit fingle. 
This author joins in this genus with the duckbean, properly called menyanthes, the little water-lilly 
but they are plants altogether differing in fhape and qualities, though their flowers are alike: ‘The 
difpofition of the leaves, which is by threes in this plant, and fingly in the other, is a fufficient and 
obvious mark of diftinétion. | 
Where nature happens to have given flowers of the fame form to plants very different in form and 
qualities, we are not to confound the genera fhe has eftablifhed, by joining them together under one 
name, but to feek in the reft of the plant thofe particulars which may keep them feparate. 
Of this genus there is but one known fpecies, ' which is a common wild plant among us. 
Common Buckbean. 
Menyanthes vulgare. 
The root is long, thick, jointed, redifh on the 
outfide, white within, and runs obliquely under 
the furface. 
The firft leaves ftand three on each footftalk ; 
and thefe footftalks are thick, and redifh at the 
bottom. 
The leaves are large, oblong, of a frefh green 
colour, and of a thick, flefhy fubftance: they 
are broadeft in the middle, pointed at the end, 
and undivided at the edges. 
The ftalk is thick, round, ten inches high, 
ahd not at all branched : it is redifh at the bot- 
tom, and is there generally enveloped by the 
broad bottoms of footftalks of feveral leaves that 
rife with it, and furround it to fome height. 
Thefe are like thofe from the root, but fmaller ; 
and there are no others on the ftalk. 
The flowers ftand at the top in a thick, fhort 
fpike ; and are large, and very beautiful: their 
colour is whitifh, but with a faint blufh of red, 
and they are hairy or rough on the infide. 
: , Geet 
‘The feed-veffel is large and oval.” 
It is common in damp paftures, and on boggy 
grounds, and flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Trifolium paluftre. ‘Tourne- 
fort, Menyanthes paluftre triphyllum. 
It is a plant defervedly celebrated for its vir- 
tues: it is diuretick and deobftruent in a great 
degree, and has a bitternefs extremely ferviceable 
to the ftomach. 
It is good in dropfies, the jaundice, the fcurvy, 
the rheumatifm, and in intermittent fevers. 
For dropfies the beft method of giving it is to 
exprefs the juice after bruifing the’plant, with a 
little white wine. BR 
In the fcurvy, a ftrong infufion taken twice a- 
day for a continuance, is of great effect: there 
are not wanting thofe who give it in the gout in 
the fame manner. i 
For intermittent fevers, it fhould be dried care- 
fully, and powdered ; half a dram is a dofe; and - 
I have known it fucceed where the bark has 
failed. 
N 4 W238 XVI. 
F RUNGE DoW, AduE AR etter, 
NYMPHOIDES, 
rPHE flower confifts of a fingle petal, divided deeply into five fegments, which are cut or fringed 
at the edges: the feed-veffel is large, and fimple in its ftru@ture: the leaves ftand fingly, one ' 
on each foorftalk, 
N°8. 
x Linneus, 
