SoLANUM DULCAMARA. WoODY NlGHTSHADE. 



SOLANUM Linnai Gen. PI. Pentandria Monogynia. 



Rail Syn. Gen. 16. HerbjeBacciferje. 

 SOLi^NUM Dulcamara caule inermi frutefcente flexuofo, foliis fuperioribus haftatis, racemis cymofis. 



Linn. Sp. PI. p. 264. 

 SOLANUM Scandens feu Dulcamara, Bauhln. Pin. p. 176. Amara Dulcis, Gerard, emac. p. 350. 



Solanum lignofum, Parkin/on, p. 350. Rail Synopfis. p. 265. Hudfon. Fior. Angl. p. 78. 



Scopoli Flor. CarnioL p. 161. Halter, Hifl. Plant. Helv. p. 248. 



RADIX perennis. 



CAULIS fruticofus, fcandens, fifhilofus, ramofus, tu- y 

 berculis parvis fubafper, leniter angulofus, or- t 

 gyalis et ultra. | 



RAMI alterni, juniores purpurei. 



1 

 s 



FOLIA petiolata, mollia, venofa, in caulem fubdccur- | 

 rentia, z^r/Vtf ovata-lanceolata, integerrima; $ 

 fuperiora trilobo-haftata. | 



FLORES in Cymas racemofas difpofiti ; pedunculi 

 florales ad balin bulbofi, aut ex acetabulo quail 

 prodeuntes. 



CALYX : Peri anthium monophyllum, parvum, qnin- 

 quefidum, purpureum, fegmentis obtuliufcu- 

 lis, periiftens, Jig. 1. 



COROLLA monopetala, rotata : Tubus breviflimus ; 



Limbus quinquepartitus, Laciniis lanceola- 



tis, purpureis, reflexis ; Faux nigra, nitida, 



ad balin fingulae lacinias maculae dua?, virides, 



fig- 3> 2. 



STAMINA : Filament a quinque, breviffima, tubo 

 Corolhe inferta, nigro purpurea. Antherje 

 quinque, flavse, erectae, in tubum fubconi- 

 cum coalitae, apicibus biforaminofis, Jig. 4, 5. 



PISTILLUM : Germen pyriforme : Stylus fubulatus, 

 Staminibus paulo longior : Stigma limplex, 

 obtufum, Jig. 6. 



PERICARPIUM : Bacca ovata, coccinea, glabra, bi~ 

 locularis, receptaculo utrinque convexo, cui 

 femina adnectuntur, Jig. 8. 



SEMINA plures, lutefcentia, comprena, fubrenifor- 

 mia, pulpo odoris ingrati obtecta, Jig. 9. 



ROOT perennial. 



STALK woody, climbing, hollow, branched, thinly 

 befet with fmall pointed tubercles, {lightly 

 angular, and growing to the hight of fix feet, 

 or more. 



BRANCHES alternate, the younger ones purple. 



LEAVES ftanding on foot-ftalks, of an oval pointed 

 fhape, foft, veiny, running {lightly down 

 the ftalk, the lower ones entire, the upper ones 

 halbert fhaped. 



FLOWERS growing in branched Cymje, the proper 

 peduncles of the flowers bulbous at their bafe, 

 or growing out of a kind of focket. 



CALYX, a Peri anthium of one leaf, fmall, and pur- 

 ple, divided into five fegments, the fegments 

 bluntifh, perfifting, fig. 1, 



COROLLA monopetalous, wheel-fliaped ; the Tube 

 very fhort ; the Limb divided into five feg- 

 ments, the segments lancet-fhaped, purple, 

 and turning back; the Mouth black and 

 mining ; at the bottom of each fegment are 

 two roundifh green fpots, Jig. 3, 2. 



STAMINA: five Filaments, very fhort, of a black 

 purple colour, and inferted in the tube of the 

 Corolla. Five Anthers, yellow, upright, 

 and uniting into a tube, with two holes at the 

 top of each, out of which the Pollen is dif- 

 charged, fig. 4, 5. 



PISTILLUM: the Germen pear-fhaped : the Style 

 tapering, a little longer than the Stamina : 

 the Stigma fimple and obtufe, fig. 6. 



SEED-VESSEL : an oval, fcarlet, fmooth Berry, of 

 two cavities, the receptacle to which the feeds 

 is connected, is round on both fides, fig. 8. 



SEEDS feveral, flat, fomewhat kidney-maped, fig. 9, 

 of a yellowifh colour, inclofed in the pulp, 

 which has a difagreeable fmell, fig. 9. 



THE Woody Nightjhade has been commended as a medicine for many diftempers by the old Botanifts, in their 

 ufually lavifh manner: but Parkinson fays, he found the juice of it prove a very churlifh purge. Linnjeus 

 prefers an infufion of the ftalk of this plant to any of the foreign woods, as a cleanfer of the blood; and 

 recommends it in inflammatory fevers, obftructions, the itch, and rheumatifm : and to render the knowledge 

 of plants as extenfively ufeful as poffible, he does not think it beneath him to remark, that the Swedi/h 

 Peafants make hoops of the ftalk of this plant to bind their wooden cans. Ray informs us, that the inhabitants 

 of Wejlphalia, who are fubjedfc to the fcurvy, make uie of a decoction of the whole plant as their common 

 drink, with fuccefs againft that diftemper. 



Floyer fays, that thirty berries of this plant killed a dog in lefs than three hours, and remained undigefted 

 in his ftomach. As thefe berries, from their refemblance, may happen by miftake to be eaten for currants by 

 children, it may not be improper to remark, that in luch a cafe, it is advifeable to pour down inftantly, as much 

 warm water as poffible, to dilute the poifonous juice, and provoke vomiting, till farther affiftance can be had. 



Goats and fheep are faid to feed on this plant ; but our other cattle, viz. kine, horfes, and fwine, refufe it. 



It grows plentifully in moift hedges, and blows from July to Auguft. The berries are ripe in September and 

 October. It is fometimes found with a white flower. 



