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335 
Common May-apple. 
Podophyllum vulgare. 
The root is long, flender, and creeping : it 
runs juft under the furface, and has numerous 
fibres annexed to it. 
The ftalk is round, upright, firm, of a yel- 
lowith colour, and about a foot high, 
It is naked to the top; where it divides ufually 
into two parts, and on each of thefe is fupported 
a fingle leaf. : 
This is very large, of a roundifh form, but di- 
vided down to the ftalk into about fix fegments, 
Gy gh N 
The colour is a yellowifh green, and the fub- 
ftance firm. ’ 
The flower rifes in the midft between thefe two 
parts of the ftalk; and has a flender pedicle of an 
inch long, 
It is large and white, 
The fruit is oblong, large, 
colour when ripe. 
It is a native of North America, and flowers 
in May, 
Authors in general call it Anapodophyllum Ca- 
nadenfe. 
and of an orange- 
U's Vi 
WINTER-CHERRY. 
ALKEKENGL 
A Rise flower is formed of a fingle petal, which is hollowed, large, folded, and divided at the 
edge into five broad, pointed fegments. The cup is formed of a fingle leaf ; and is of a bloated 
fhape, and divided alfo toward the edge into five pointed fegments: it is of a pentangular form, and 
Fremains with the fruit, The berry is roundifh, and is contained in the cup, which becomes very large, 
clofes about it, and acquires a colour. The feeds are numerous, Kidney-fhaped, and comprefied. 
Linnzus places this among the pentandria monogynia ; the threads in the fower being five, and the 
ftyle from the rudiment of the fruit fingle. 
1. Common Winter-Cherry, 
Alkckengi vulgare. 
The root is flender, and creeps under the fur- 
face. 
The ftalk is round, upright, a foot and half 
high, and divided into feveral branches. 
The leaves are placed two at a joint, on long 
footftalks ; and they are large, and of a fine deep 
green: they are broadeft at the bafe, narrower to 
the point, and undivided at the edges. 
The flowers are placed on flender footftalks in 
the bofoms of the leaves: they are large and 
white. 
The fruit fucceeds ; and makes a fingular ap- 
pearance: itis a red berry of the bignefs of a 
cherry, and is furrounded by a kind of bag or 
bladder formed of the cup; which fwells for that 
purpofe, and acquires a red colour. 
It is a native of the warmer parts of Europe, 
and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Solanum veficarium. Others, 
Alkekengi. 
The berries are celebrated for many virtues ; 
but the prefent practice negleéts them: they 
operate by urine, and are good againft obftruc- 
tions of the vifcera ; but as we have fo many more 
powerful medicines for the fame intentions, they. 
are not worth much regard. 
2. Sleepy Nightfhade. 
Alkekengi floribus confertis. 
This, though called a night(hade, is properly a 
fpecies of winter-cherry. The difference is not 
fo great, that we fhould wonder old authors, lefs 
accurate than we in the characters of the genera, 
did not perceive it. 
The root is long and thick. 
I 
He calls the genus phy/alis, 
The firft leaves are very large, broad, thort, 
obtufely pointed, and fupported on thort foot- 
ftalks: their colour is a deep green, 
The ftalk is round, upright, and two feet 
high: toward the top it ufually divides into fe. 
veral branches, 
The leaves are placed on fhort footftalks, and 
refemble thofe from the root : they are alfo of a 
dufky green on the upper fide, but paler under- 
neath. 
The flowers grow in clufters round the ftalk at 
the joints; and they are fmall, and of a yel- 
lowith white. : 
The berry is fmall and red: it remains in the 
cup, where it is defended by a woolly matter. 
It is a native of the warmer parts of Europe, 
and flowers in July. ' 
C. Bauhine calls it Solanum Somuiferum verticil- 
latim. 
It is accounted poifonous ; but outwardly is in 
common ufe in Spain to promote fleep. The 
leaves are bruifed for this purpofe, and laid on 
the temples. 
3- Woolly Winter-Cherry. 
Alkekengi foliis lanuginofs. 
The root is long, thick, and furnifhed with 
many fibres. 
The ftalk is firm, woody, and divided into 
branches. 
The leaves are placed on flender footftalks 5 
and they are fhort, broad, obtufe, of a whitith co- 
Jour, and of a woolly furface. 
“The flowers ftand fingly on long footftalks 
rifing from the bofoms of the leaves; and they 
are {mall, and of a very pale redith colour. 
The berry is large, and of acoral red. 
Ie 
