194 NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



Diplotcenia cachrydifolia ^ supplies fodder for horses. Aciphylla 

 glacialis ^ is utilized in Australia as an alimentary root. At the Cape 

 Anesorhiza capensis ^ is a potherb.* Several species of Bupkurum are 

 useful : B.falcatum^ (fig. 131), formerly employed in the treatment 

 of fevers and wounds ; B. fruticosum,^ esteemed by the Greeks as 

 emmenagogic, diuretic, anticatarrhal ; B. aristatum,^ extolled in the 

 Tyrol as odontalgic ; -B. rotundifolium ® (fig. 132) and protractum,' 

 employed against wounds, tumours and scrofulous affections. The 

 young shoots are said to be edible. Along most of our coast the 

 stems and leaves of Grithmum maritimum^" (fig. 109, 110)" are eaten 

 as pickles, and are reputed aromatic, depurative and diuretic.'* 



What may be termed the abnormal Umhelliferce, that is, those of 

 the series Hydrocotylece and Araliece, include relatively but a small 

 number of useful plants. Our common Pennywort '- (fig. 157) has 

 been reputed resolutive, detersive and vulnerary ; it is scarcely used. 

 But HydrocotyJe asiatica ^^ (fig. 158-161) has for some years formed 

 the subject of numerous publications as a sovereign remedy for 

 inveterate affections of the skin, even of those of a syphilitic nature. 

 The Indians also extol it as diuretic. With them it is a potherb. 

 H. bonariensis '* and H. umhellaia ^^ are employed in South America, 

 the former in cutaneous eruptions, the latter in liver and renal mala- 



» Boiss. M. Or. ii. 981. gent, vulnerary, and B. petiolare DC. as astrin- 



" Benth. JFl. Austral, iii. 375, n. 2.— Gingidiitm gent and febrifuge. 



glaeiaU F. Muell. Trans. Fhil. lust. Viet. i. '» L. Spec. 354.— Jaco. SoH. Vindob. t. 187. 



104. A. latifolia and antipoda, of the anteirctio — Sow. Engl. Bot. t. 819. — DC. Prodr. iv. 164. 



regions are no longer numbered among eoouo- Mer. et Del. BUit. ii. 466. — Gken. et Godr. Fl. 



mic plants in our country. de Fr. i. 700.— Caz. PI. Med. Indig. (ed. 3) 356. 



3 Cham, et Schlchtl, Linneea, i. 398.— Hakt. " Some species of Eehinophora are mentioned 



and SoNB. Fl. Cap. ii. 545. Capnophyllum pere- as useful : E. tricfiophglla L. as tonic depurative 



grirmm {Eruhera leptophylla Hoppm.) has an and healing serpent bites ; E. spinom has an 



aromatic edible root. edible root said to be similar to that of the 



* VlacMe Anyswortel of the planters. Parsnip. 



'■'L. Spec. Ul {Blare's Ear). ^^ Bydroeotyle vulgaris L. Spec. 338.— DC. 



6 L. Spec. 344 — Geen. et Godk. Fl. de Fr. i. Prodr. iv. 59, u. 2.— Gken. et Godr. Fl. de Fr. 



725.— Tenoria fruticosa Spreng. i, 751.— Rosenth. op. cit. 624. 



? Earth. Wichb. loon. ii. 70, t. 178.— .B. diva. " L. Spec. 234.— DO. Prodr. n. 26.— GniB. loc. 



ricatiim'ijAiiiK.Fl.Fr.m.iV). — Odontites luteola cit. 217, — Fltjck. et Hane. Pharmaeogr. 264 



Spreng. Sch. Syst. vi. 380. (Codagam, Kutakhn). Its active principle is 



8 L. Spec. 340.— DC. Prodr. n. 17.— Hayn. called vellnrine. S. rotundifolia RoxE. of India 



Jrt'J. Gew. vii. t. 1. is sometimes substituted for it. 



s Link, Fl. Porting, ii. n. 387. — B. subovatttm " Lamk. Diet. iii. 147. DC. Prodr. n. 7. 



Spreng. — Diaphyllum triradiatum Hofpm: B. ^' L. Spec. 234.— DC. Prodr. n. 6.-5^. umbel- 



ptrfoliatum Lamk. is also employed as astrin- lula:a Puksh. 



