140 SYLVA FLORIFEKA. 



sene, groweth in diuers gardens, and commeth 

 vp of seed ; it quickly commeth to perfection, 

 insomuch that if a stick thereof be broken off 

 and thrust into the grounde, it quickly taketh 

 roote, yea, although it be done in the middle 

 of sommer, as myselfe have often prooued ; 

 the which bring foorth flowers and fruite the 

 next yeere after." 



Most writers on plants are of opinion that 

 the ancient Greek and Latin medical authors 

 were unacquainted with the true senna, and 

 that its virtues were made known to us by the 

 Arabians, who call it sena. The bladder or 

 false senna, colutea, is the KcXovrea. of Theo- 

 phrastus, whose writings inform us that in the 

 neighbourhood of Athens it was used to fat- 

 ten sheep, which it greatly facilitated. We 

 are not aware that the experiment has ever 

 been made in this country, but the philoso- 

 pher's observation is worthy of notice to those 

 who have flocks on the downs, where it would 

 grow as well as furze if sown in the same 

 manner. 



Parkinson, in " The garden of pleasant 



Flowers," which he dedicated to Henrietta, 



the beautiful queen of the unfortunate Charles 



the First, tells us that the leaves of the bladder 



senna are known to be a violent purgative 



" and therefore let every one beware that they 



20 



