170 The 
B Re eT 1'ScH . SH BR Be Aa. | 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the ftalks in a 
regular and beautiful manner, and they are fmall 
and yellow: they have fwoln or bloated cups. 
The feed-veffel is fmall and oblong, and the 
feeds are little and brown. 
It is a native of Crete, and fowers in Augutt. 
Alpinus calls it Vifcaria maxima Cretica ; and 
others borrow the name from him. 
Mr. Ray, and others fince have fufpected this 
to be the fame plant with the preceding, from 
the refemblance in fome points; but this is owing 
only to the imperfect defcriptions. 5 
The whole habit of this fpecies is different 
from that, and the form of the cups diftinguifhes 
them entirely. It is natural to make thefe mif- 
takes from imperfeét defcriptions: but thofe who 
“have feen the plant from the fpot cannot be under 
any difficulty in determining it altogether fepa- 
rate. 
Little is known with certainty of the virtues 
of this numerous genus. 
The common white campion is ufed by the 
Gere ON 
country people in fome places to make an oint™ 
ment, which they commend for its virtues againft 
hard fwellings,; and, elfwhere, the leaves of 
the. fame fpecies, dried in an oven and powdered, 
are given children again{t convulfions. 
In Germany they celebrate feveral of the 
common kinds as wound-herbs; and with us 
the red catchfly is faid to poffefs, in common 
with foapwort, a virtue of difperfing grumous 
blood, and of relieving in bruifes external and 
internal. : 
‘The cockle is celebrated alfo as a wound-herb, 
but on a different principle. It is faid to have 
great virtue in ftopping blood and healing frefh 
cuts. 
It is alfo ufed againft cutaneous foulneffes in 
fome places, in form of a decoétion to wath the 
parts, or in an ointment. 
The root of this fpecies, dried and powdered, 
ftands recommended alfo greatly againft hemor- 
rhages, and feems worth a trial: the dofe’fhould 
be about fifteen grains. 
U Ss Til. 
€ Fir S52" US: 
HEATH SUNFLOWER. 
THE flower is large and fpecious ; and confifts of five broad regularly expanded petals : 
the cup 
is compofed of five leaves; of thefe two are fmaller than the other three ;. and it remains 
with the feed-veffel : this is of a roundifh fhape, and contains numerous fimall and roundifh feeds. 
Linnzus places this among his polyandria monogynia; the filaments in the Aower being nume- 
rous, and growing to the receptacle; and the ftyle from the rudiment of the fruit being fingle, 
Many authors have diftinguifhed two genera among the planrs properly belonging to this, calling 
the one helianthemum and chameciftus, and the other ciffus; but there is not in nature any certain 
and fufficient foundation for this diftin@tion ; and it is more proper to keep the plants all together, as 
they evidently agree in the feveral chara€ters which are proper to eftablith a genus, 
Our Englith names of heath funflower and dwarf ciftus are preferved in fome writers for the com- 
mon wild kinds with us; but in general the Latin name of the genus, ciftus, 
ufe, and has fuperfeded all the Englith ones. 
DIVISION I. 
1. Common fmall Ciftus. 
Ciftus procumbens lignofus. 
The root is long, flender, divided into many 
parts, and furnifhed with numerous long, tough, 
brown, and crooked fibres. 
The ftalks are very numerous: they rife all 
from one head of the root, and fpread themfelves 
every way, fo as to form a great roundifh tuft. 
They are brown, hard, woody, and are a foot 
or more in length; but they, for the moft part, 
trail upon the ground: they are frequently 
branched, and of a brown colour. 
The leaves are oblong and broad: they are of 
a dufky green: they ftand in pairs, and are placed 
very thick upon all parts of the ftalks : they fre- 
quently are turned back, and they -have a light 
hairynefs. 
The flowers are large, beautiful, and of a 
gold yellow: they ftand on naked, ftrageling, 
and crooked fhoots that run up from the tops of 
Ban Dera S 
has got into common 
Seb se Calob aS: 
the ftalks, and each has its feparate, flender 
pedicle: they quickly fall off. 
The feed-veffel is of a roundifh form, and the 
feeds are numerous, fmall, and brown. 
It is common on heaths, and by road-fides, 
in many parts of England; and fowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Chomeciftus vulgaris flore 
luteo. Others, Helianthemuin vulgare. The 
Englifh writers, Dwarf ciftus, or Sunflower. 
2. Ciftus with narrow petals. 
Ciftus procumbens petalis anguftis. 
The root is long, flender, brown, 
divided into many long, 
The ftalks are numero 
trailing. 
The leaves ftand in pairs, and they are oblong; 
alittle hairy, of a pale green on the underfide, 
and of a deep green above; and they are ob- 
tufe at the ends, : 
3 The 
woody, and 
crooked parts. 
us, flender, woody, and 
