“268 
The OB Ril T 1S HW HEIRS AL. 
The feed-veftel is uneven and angulated, with an opening at the top, furrounded with th tittle 
points, which are the remains of the ftyles : the cup is fmall, and formed of a fingle piece, divided ~ 
into five parts, two of which ftand wider afunder than the reft. : ‘ : 
Linnzus places this among his polyandria trigymia the filaments being numerous, and growing to 
the receptacle ; and the ftyles being three. 
This author joins the refeda in one genus with this, and thence has created himfelf a great deal of 
trouble and confufion. 
He complains of the difficulty of eftablifhin 
g a character for this genus : but if he had avoided 
that confufion of joining a diftinct one to it, and had paid more regard to larger parts, and lefs to 
the more minute, the tafk would have been eafy, and the ftu 
ts path, which is perplexed in the 
higheft degree in this method, would have been rendered plain and aly, as we fhall fhew it in ours. 
DAV TSO; NT, 
1. Common Diers-weed. 
Luteola vulgaris. 
The root is long, white, divided into feveral 
parts, and hung round with many threads. 
The firft leaves rife in a large and beautiful 
tuft : the outer ones are long and narrow; and 
the others fhorter all the way to the centre : they 
have no footftalks: they are not at all indented 
at the edges; and they are of a bright green. 
The ftalks are ftrait, upright, flender, not at 
all branched, and three feet high. 
The leaves on them are placed irregularly, and 
are of the fame form with thofe from the root; 
but of a yellowifh green. 
The flowers are fmall and yellow: they ftand 
in a long fpike at the top of the ftalk. 
The feed-veffels are large, and the feeds ex- 
tremely numerous, and {mall. 
It is common on ditch-banks, and in other wafte 
ground; and flowers in July. It is alfo culti- 
vated in fields in fome places for the ufe of the 
diers. ‘ 
C. Bauhine calls it Luteola herba folicis folio. 
Others, Luteola, and Herba lutea. 
In Englifh, befides its name Diers-weed, it is 
called Wold and Would; thefe names found like 
woad, and the two plants, though in themfelves 
perfectly diftin&, have from this been confounded 
one with another by the hufbandmen. Even 
many of thofe who have written treatifes for 
their inftruction, have thought them the’ fame 
plant. 
DIVISION I, 
Sharp-leaved Diers-weed. 
Refeda foliis anguftis acuminatis.- 
The root is long, flender, white, and full of 
fibres. 
The leaves that rife firft are very narrow, 
long, and fharp-pointed: they do not fpread 
themfelves upon the ground, but rife up in a 
thick tuft. . 
The ftalk is round, firm, upright, ten inches 
high, and yellow. 
It does not divide into branches, but fends out _ 
a number of fhoots all the way up from the bo- 
foms of the leaves; fo that it appears of a pyra- 
midal form. 
The leaves are placed alternately and at con- 
BRITT SH 
FOREIGN 
SPE C eas: 
The diers ufe the whole herb, and find it an- 
fwer more purpofes than one: they boil it with 
alum, and in this condition it dyes yellow alone, 
or with a mixture of blue it makes a green. 
White cloths are put in to be dyed yellow, and 
the colour given by this herb is a very rich and 
good one: for greens they generally dye the cloth 
blue firft, and then dip it into this liquor, which, 
mixing with the blue tinge, makes a ftrong 
green. 
2. Short-leaved Diers-weed. 
Luteola parva foliis brevibus. 
The root is long, flender, and furnifhed with 
many fibres. 
The firft leaves are numerous, and fpread them- 
felves on the ground in feveral circular feries ; 
the fmalleft in the middle: they are oblong, and 
fomewhat broad; not fo long and narrow in 
proportion to their fize as the others. 
The ftalk is fingle, not at all branched, and 
about eight inches high. 
The leaves are placed irregularly on it; and 
they are oblong, and fomewhat broad. 
The flowers are very numerous, fmall,' and of 
a pale yellow: they ftand in a long fpike at the 
top of the ftalk. 
The feed-veffel is fender and crooked, and 
edged with three ribs. 
It is found on walls, and on barren grounds 
among corn. It flowers in July. 
Ray calls it Luteola minima polygale folio. 
SPECIES. 
fiderable diftances: they are very long, narrow, 
and fharp at the point, and are of a pale green. 
The flowers ftand in long fpikes at the top of 
the ftalk, and of thefe branches; and they are 
very fmall, and of a pale yellow. 
The feed-veffel is oblong and crooked ; and 
the feeds are very numerous and fmall.. 
It is a native of the mountainous parts of 
Europe, and flowers in Augutt. 
Tournefort calls it Lutecla pumila pyrenaica 
linarie folio. : 
The leaves are not of that yellowifh hue that 
thofe of our common diers-weed get when they 
begin to grow dry; but are at firft of a blgifh 
green, and afterwards greyifh, 
GENUS 
