‘ 
‘ THE! BRITIS:H iH ER BeAlL. 
green: they are extremely branched: and as 
they grow in length, the fhort firt leaves drop 
off: they grow to eight or nine inches long ; 
but far the greateft part of it lie upon the ground, 
few of them ftanding up farther than the fpike of 
flowers, , 
The leaves ftand irregularly on thefe ftalks, 
and are unlike the firft: thefe are longifh,’ nar- 
row, and pointed. 5 ; 
‘The flowers ftand in long loofe fpikes, and are 
of a pale blue. 
The feed-veffel is at and large: the feeds are 
numerous, and fall. 
It is common in dry paftures, and flowers in 
July. ‘ ‘ 
C. Bauhine calls it Polygala vulgaris. Others, 
Polygala minor. 
No plant varies more than this in its afpeét and 
manner of growth, according to the accidents of 
place and nourifhment. 
The flowers, though naturally blue, are often 
redifh, and often white ftriated more or lef 
with blue or red, fometimes white altogether.. In 
this condition, fome authors have defcribed it as 
a different fpecies, or made one or two more, 
all fuppofed different. 
We have obferved that the firtt leaves are {mall 
and fhort, and that thefe ufually fall off; but 
fometimes there grow no others, thefe being con- 
tinued upon the ftalks their whole length! in this 
cafe the ftalks generally lie altogether upon the 
ground, and the plant has been deferibed as a 
diftinét fpecies under the name of Polygala myrti- 
folia paluftris humilis  ramotior. 
Mr. Ray himfelf is not without thefe flips: *tis 
commonly on damp, poor ground it affumes this 
form. : 
In all thefe conditions the fpecies is the fame, 
and, under proper advantages of fun and nou- 
rifhment, would at any time put. on its pro- 
per face again. Some few years fince, I faw a 
very remarkable inftance of this, There grows 
a great deal of milkwort on the edge of a {mall 
bog on Hampftead heath’: this, while the bog 
was wet, to the top, was full of fhort, broad 
leaves, and fpread upon the ground in nume- 
rous branches: afterwards, fome flight trenches 
were cut through the bog, which drained it a 
D. LV. U.S 1,.O-Noc iI, FO 
1, Crefted Milkwort, 
Polygala criftata. 
The root is long, flender, and fimple. 
The flalks are numerous, round, hard, and 
- firs part lie upon the ground, and part’ ftand 
erect among them. e 
The leaves grow often in pairs, but not cer- 
tainly or regularly fo: they are {mall, fhort, ob- 
tufe, moderately broad, of a dead green, and 
very rough to the touch, 
The flowers ftand in long crefted feries on the 
tops of the ftalks, fometimes in a fingle, fome- 
times a double feries ; and they are fmall, and 
purplith or white. 
The feed-veffel is minute, and very flat, the 
feeds are very {mall and yellow. 
' fame ftrong uniform red. 
It is a native of Ethiopia, and flowers in June. 
little; and then the milkwort grew more erect, 
and had fewer branches, and long, narrow 
leaves. ret 
Thefe trenches are now filled up again in a 
_ great meafure by the {welling of the boggy earth 
at their fides, as all trenches in fuch ground will, 
if not frequently cleaned ; and that part of the 
milkwort which grows loweft is {preading on the 
ground, and getting into the myrtle-leaved ftate 
again. ? 
Experience here fhews ftrongly what we have 
occafion often to affért with equal truth, though 
lefs authenticated by evidence, that plants which 
appear very different, are only varieties of one 
and the fame fpecies. Few imagine what is in 
the power of accidents in the place of growth. 
2. Upright red Milkwort. 
Polygala purpurea ereGa. 
We have feen what changes the difference -of 
foil make in the common milkwort ; but we here 
treat of a fpecies altogether diftin@. No change 
of place, or accidents of any kind, could reduce 
this plant to the condition of the common 
milkwort, or raife that to the ftate of this : its 
own feeds produce it, and no other. 
The root is long, flender, and divided into 
many parts. ; 
The leaves on the firft fhoots are fmall, but 
not broad: they are nurnerous, fhort, and fharp- 
pointed. : 
The flalks are firm, rigid, erect, and ten 
inches high. 
The leaves are numerous, and ftand irregu- 
larly : they are narrow, of a deep green, fharp- 
pointed, and {mooth. 
The flowers ftand upon the tops of the ftalks 
in a fhort fpike : they are large and purple. 
The feed-veffel is flat, large, and full of mi- 
nute feeds: 
It is common in hilly paftures, 
July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Polygala major. 
hine, Polygala vulgaris major. 
I have never feen any variation in the colour 
of the flower in this fpecies : it is always of the 
and flowers in 
J. Bau- 
REIGN SPECIES: 
Plukenet calls ‘it Pohgala Athiopica anguftis 
hirfutis foliis lore obfolete purpureo 5 but the flowers 
are oftener white than purple, 
2. Feathered Milkwort. 
Polygala criftis fimbriatis, 
: The root is woody, long, divided, and fpread- 
ing. ; 
The ftem is woody; and divided into many 
branches, : 
The leaves ftand irre 
narrow, of a pale green, 
and pointed at the ends, 
The flowers are large, and very beautiful : 
they fland in long fpikes, and each has its fepa- 
rate long’ and flender footftalk ; they are de- 
fended by a broad covering, compofed of three 
ularly ; and are long, 
undivided at the edges, 
** leaves, 
