4.36 
PheBY RIS SoH ERE Baas, 
DAeVFles ICO UN al 
1. Great Wild Lettuce, 
Laéiuca fylvefris major opii odore. 
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The root is long, thick, and whitith; and, 
when cut, it yields abundantly a yellow juice, of 
a very unpleafant fmell, refembling that of opium; 
and of a bitter and naufeous tafte, ; é 
The firft leaves are very large, oblong, broad, 
and a little waved, but not divided at the edges. 
Their colour is a pale green ; and, when bro- 
ken, they yield the fame yellow acrid juice. 
The ftalk is round, green, fmooth, and five 
feet high ; and at the top it is divided into many 
branches, 
The leaves on it refemble thofe from the root ; 
and are oblong, broad, and undivided. 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the branches ; 
and are numerous, fmall, and yellow. 
It is frequent in our midland counties, and 
flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Lafuca fylveftris odore vi- 
rofo. Others, Laéuca /ylveftris major odore opii. 
This is one of thofe Englith plants which de- 
ferve to be more known in medicine. It is called 
poifonous, and men have from that been frighted 
feom its ufe; but it is a very gentle and fafe 
opiate. The beft way of giving ir is in a fyrup 
made from a decottion of the frefh leaves and 
ftalk. This way it greatly exceeds the common 
diacodium, and may be given to tender conftitu- 
tions with more fafety.~ This I write from expe: . 
rience, 
2. Jagged-leaved Wild Lettuce. 
Latiuca fylvefiris foliis laciniatis. 
_ The root is long, thick, and brown. 
The ftalk is round, thick, upright, purplifh, 
and four feet high. 
The leaves are long and large, of a dead green, 
deeply divided at the edges, and prickly along 
the rib on the under fide. 
The flowers are fmall, and of a pale yellow : 
they grow in vaft numbers on the tops of the 
branches, 
The whole plant abounds with a yellow, ill- 
feented juice. 
D:1 VJ. SI OaNa- IL 
Blue-flowered Mountain-Lettuce, 
‘ 
Laéiuca montana cerulea. 
The root is long, fmall, and hung with 
fibres, 
The ftalk is round, flender, 
purplith colour, 
many branches, . 
upright, of a 
and divided at the top into 
B Rete le ome 
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Sak Clb S; 
It is common on ditch-banks, and flowers in 
June. 
C.Bauhine calls it Laéuca fylveftris cofta Stinofa. 
Others, Laétuca fylueftris diffettis foliis, 
The leaves of this fpecies are fometimes undi- 
vided, or very little divided, as in the firft kind. 
In.this {tate fome have defcribed it asa difting 
{pecies ; and others have confounded it with this 
and with the firft: but they are two difting. 
plants ; and this variety only belongs to the Jat- 
ter here defcribed. 
3. The leaft Wild Lettuce. 
Lafiuca fylveftris minima. 
The root is léng and thin. 
The ftalks are numerous, very flender, tough, 
and of a purplith colour. 
The leaves are long, narrow, and deeply di- 
vided ;. and. the whole, plant is full of an_ill- 
fcented juice. 
The flowers aré fmall; and they rarely-open: 
they are placed in long, flender cups. 
It is common on clay-banks of ditches, and 
flowers in Auguft, : 
C. Bauhine calls it Chandrilla vifcofa humilis, 
Others, Ladiuca fylveftri minor. 
4. Ivy-leaved Wild Lettuce. 
Lafiuca murorum foliis angulofis. 
The root is fibrous and whitifh, 
The ftalk is round, upright, not much 
branched, brownith or purplith in colour, and 
two feet high. : 
The leaves are long, and of a handfome fi- 
gure: they are fmali, and deeply pinnated to- 
ward the bafe, and at the end they {well out into 
a broads angulated, and pointed piece, refem- 
bling a leaf of ivy. 
The flowers are {mall, numerous, and yellow, 
It is common on banks and walls, and flowers 
in June. ‘sa 
C. Bauhine calls it Sonchus Levis laciniatus mu 
ralis parvis floribus. : 
Linnzus diftinguifhes this and the fucceeding -- 
from the /ettuce kind under the name prenanthes, 
from a flight difference in the cup. 
REIGN SPECIES 
The leaves are long, and moderately broad : 
they are flightly finuated at the edges, and of a 
deep green. 
The flowers are fmall,. and of a fine blue. 
It is a native of Italy, and flowers in Auguft. 
C. Bauhine calls it Laéfvca montana purpureo 
caerulea major, , 
GENUS: 
