4S6 SYNQENESIA : POLYGAMIA SUPERFLUA.; 



we thought it deferved a place in this coUedion. 



-n.v.Vi. 



The root is thick, jointed, creeping, and barbed 

 with many fibres : the flalk is two or three feet 

 high, hairy, furrow'd, and divided towards the 

 top into three or four branches, each terminated 

 with one large yellow radiated flower : the leaves 

 are rather foft and ha^ry, the radical ones 

 obtufely heart-fhaped, and fupported on foot* 

 ftalks ; thofe on the ftalk but few in number, 

 embracing it at their bafe, and of a long oval 

 form : the fc ales of the calyx are about 26 in 

 number, compofed of a double feries, are nar- 

 row, lanceolate, and as long as the r«ys of the 

 flower: the female florets which compofe the 

 rays are ftreak'd with green lines, and about 22 

 in number : the hermaphrodite ones of the difc 

 are about 178: the feeds of the rays are nearly 

 triangular, ftreaked with ten lines, and are def- 

 titute of down : thofe of the difc are roundifli, 

 hairy, and crowned with a down, which is 

 nightly plumofe : the receptacle is convex and 

 hairy. From the burfting of the Anthera to 

 the ripening of the feeds takes up the fpacc of 

 one month. 



Many writers have fuppofed the root to be poifoq- 

 ous, and that it would deflroy wolves, dogs, 

 and other animals. Others have reckoned it an 

 antidote to poifon; but the prefent prad^ice re- 

 leds it. 



BELLIS. 



