ee ee, ee 
Th BRITISH HERBAL, 
337 
1. Common Dragon. 
Dracontium vulgare. 
The root is large, thick, and furnifhed with 
numerous and fpreading fibres. 
The firft leaves are very large, and very beau- 
tiful: they are placed fingly on long, thick foot- 
ftalks ; and are of the palmated kind, formed of 
numerous, long, and moderately broad fegments, 
difpofed like fingers on a hand. 
The {talk rifes among thefe ; and is round, up- 
right, thick, of a fpungy fubftance, and four 
feet high. 
The leaves on this are placed fingly on very 
long footftalks, and refemble thofe from the root, 
being compofed of many fegments, and of a 
beautiful green. 
The flower is very large, and is placed fingly 
at the top of the ftalk. The cup is green on the 
outfide, but of a deep and beautiful purple within. 
The club is very large, and of a fine red, fome- 
times white. 
The berries are placed together in a large 
clufter, and are red when ripe. , 
The ftalk of this fpecies is ufually of a whitifh 
colour, ftained and fpeckled in a curious manner, 
like the fkin of a ferpent, with purple and green: 
it thence obtained the name. : 
It is a native of the warmer parts of Europe, 
and flowers in Auguft. 
vibiagakaninia te U; 
C. Bauhine calls it Dracunculus polyphyllus. 
Others, Dracontium: 
We cultivate it in gardens for its fingularity 
and its virtues. It has the credit of being a power= 
ful fudorifick and refifter of poifon ; but it is not 
much regarded in the prefent practice. : 
2. American Dragons. 
Dracontium Americanum {padice longifiina. 
The root is cortipofed of a thick head, from 
whence rife many long cteéping fibres, 
The firft leaves are fupported on long foot- 
ftalks 5 and they are of the palmated kind: each 
is compofed of about feven oblong and broad feg- 
ments, refembling fo many feparate leaves ; and 
thefe ate of a pale green. 
The ftalk is round, upright, and a foot high: 
The leaves on this perfectly refemble thofe frorh 
the root ; but they are fmialler: they are alfo of 
a paler green. . 
The flower ftands at the top; and is formed of 
a fhort, hollow cafe, with a very long club rifing 
up far beyond its top, and terminating in a {mall 
point. 
The berries ate numerous, latge, and; when 
they aré ripe, of afine red. 
It is a native of America, and flowers in May. 
Herman calls it Arum polyphyllum minus & hu- 
milius. Others, Dracontium Americanum. ¢ 
§ VII. 
(FY, bird baad bas (07 bs 
HE flower refembles that of the arwm, and has no petals. The cup is compofed of 4 fingle 
leaf, of an oval fhape, but pointed, and coloured. The club is upright, fhort, and hid among 
the buttons and rudiments of the fruit. This is a clufter of round berries, in which are contained 
many oblong, obtufe feeds. 
Linnzeus places this among the gynandria polyandria; the threads in the flowet being numerous, 
and fixed to the piftil. 
Water Dragon, 
Calla aquatica. 
The root is long, thick, and jointed : it runs 
obliquely in the mud in fhallow waters, and fends 
up numerous leaves from various parts. 
Thefe rife in clufters ; and are fupported fingly 
on long, thick footftalks: they are broad, fhort, 
of a heart-fafhioned fhape, fharp-pointed, and of 
a deep green. 
The ftalks are round, thick, and upright, of a 
pale green, and about fix inches high: they rife 
in the middle of the tuft of leaves, and are fur- 
rounded by the bafes of feveral of them at the 
G..E = N 
bottom : they are from thence nicked to the top, 
where there ftands the cup, formed of a fingle 
leaf, and fplit to receive the ftalk. This is of 
a pale green, and remains with the fruit. The 
club rifes within this; but it is fhort, and hid 
among the threads, which are whitifh, with yel- 
low buttons. 
The berries ripen in a fmall clufter, and, when 
ripe, are of a fine red. 
It is common in the ditches in Holland, and 
flowers in May. 
C. Bauhine calls it Dracunculus radice arun- 
dinacea. Others, Dracunculus aquaticus. 
Us IX. 
ALEXANDRIAN. LAUREL. 
HIP POGLEOSSU™. 
HE flower has no petals. The cup is compofed of fix oval, convex leaves; three of which 
ftand inward, and three outward; and it is placed on the under fide of the leaf. The 
fruit is a round berry, divided into three cells within, and containing in cach two feeds of a roundifh 
figure. 
N° XXXIV. 
4R - Linneus 
