botanically arranged. 447 



SPERGULA. Linn. Gen. Plant. 319. 

 Spergtila foliis verticillatis, floribus pentandris. Syst. Nat. 

 PINEY. Spurry. Blossoms white. In cultivated ground, 

 especially among flax. August. 



DECAGYNIA. 

 PHYTOLACCA. Linn. Gen. Plant. 521. 



Phytolacca floribus decandris. Syst. Nat. 



GARGET. Cunicufjz. Skoke. American Nightshade. Blos- 

 soms white, tinged with red. Berries black. Common by 

 road sides. July. 



The juice of the berries gives a fine purple tincture to paper, 

 but it soon fades. The berries are employed in dyes by the 

 country people, but the colours are not lasting. They would 

 make a most beautiful purple dye, if some method could be 

 found for fixing the colour. The roots are emetic and cathar- 

 tic. An ounce of the dried root, infused in a pint of wine, and 

 given to the quantity of two spoonfuls, frequently operates very 

 kindly as an emetic. In some cases it is preferable to most other 

 emetics, as it hardly alters the taste of the wine. The roots are 

 appHed to the hands and feet in ardent fevers. Farriers give a 

 decoction of them to drench cattle, and apply them, in form 

 of poultice, for discussing tumors. The young shoots boiled, 

 are hardly to be distinguished from spinach, and are nutritious 

 and wholesome. Poultry are fond of the berries ; but, if eaten 

 in large quantities, will give their flesh a disagreeable flavour. 



DODECANDRIA. 



MONOGYNIA. 

 PORTULACA. Linn. Gen. Plant. 531. 

 Portulaca foliis cuneiformibus floribus sessilibus. Syst. Nat. 

 PURSLANE. The number of the stamina are inconstant. 

 Blossoms yellow. In corn-fields. July. It 



