H e d e r a Helix. Ivy. 



HEDERA Linntii Gen. PL Pentandria Monogynia. Petala quinque oblonga. Bacca quinquefpermn. 



calyce cincta. 

 Rail Syn. Arbores et Frutices fructu flori fetaloidi contiguo. 

 HEDERA Helix foliis ovatis lobatifque. Linn, Sfi. Vcgetab. p. 202. Sp. PL 292. FL Sueclc. p. 75* 

 HEDERA foliis fterilibus triloba'tis, frtfctiferis ovato-lanceolatis. Haller hlft. helv. n. 826* 

 HEDERA Helix. Scopoll FL Cdrniol. '&. 27 1. Hud/on FL Angl p. 85. 

 HEDERA arborea. Bauhln. Pin. 305. 

 HEDERA poetica. Bauhln. Pin. 305. 

 HEDERA major fterilis. Bauhln. Pin. 305. 

 HEDERA humi repens. Bauhln. Pin. 305. 



HEDERA arborea five fcandens et corymbofa communis. Parklnjbn 678. 

 HEDERA Helix Ger. Em. 858. Rail Syn. 459. Climbing of Berried Ivy : alfo Barren or Creeping Ivy. 



TRUNCUS in arboribus hujusfpeciei fenefcentibus cor- f TRUNK; the trunk in trees of this fpecies, which 



tice rimofo cinereo veftitur, in novellis ramis | are old, is covered with an afh-coloured chop- 



viridis aut purpureas cernitur, fibrillas e la- | ped bark, in the young branches it is of a 



tere interiori exerit, quorum ope proximis | green or purple colour ; from the infide of the 



arboribus aut parietibus innixus alta petit. J trunk a great number of fmall fibres are thrown 



* out, by the afliftance of which, it fupports 



* itfelfonthe neareft walls and trees, and climbs 



TOLIA quam maxime varia, dumplanta fepit plerum- f LEAVES as various as poffible, while the plant creeps 



que trilobata, quinquelobata etiam occurunt ; * they are in general trilobate, fometimes quin- 



adminiculis derelictis, ovata hunt ; glabra, ni- | quelobate, leaving its fupporters, they become 



tentia, nunc rubedin'e ornata, nunc venis albis | oval ; fmooth, mining, fometimes tictured with 



picta, prefertim in ramulis junioribus; ^ fed, fometimes painted with white veiris.> par- 

 ticularly in the young branches. 



FLORES lutefcentes, in fummitatibus caulium umbel- | FLOWERS yellcwifh, growing on the top of the fta Iks 



latim difpoiiti, Umbellje denfae, globofae. ^ in thick round Umbels, 



COROLLA: quinque, ovata, flavefcentia, patentia. | COROLLA: Petals five;, Oval, yellowifll and fpread- 



STAMINA :FtL Amenta quinque longitudine Corolla; I STAMINA: five Filaments the length of the Co- 



Anthers bafi bifidae, incumbentes, fig. 1. * rolla ; Antherte bifid at bottom, and incum- 



& beiit, fig. I i 



PISTILLUM: GerMen turbinatum ; Stylus fimplexj | PISTILLUM : Germen roundifh ; Style fimple and 



breviflimus ; Stigma fimplex, fig. 2. | very fhort ; Stigma fimple, fig. 2. 



PERICi^RPIUM : BaccA globofa,, nigra, intus purpii- i SEED-VESSEL: a round Berry, externally black, 



rea, quadrilocularis aiit quinquelocularis, coro- | internally purple, with four or five cavities each 



nata receptaculo et ftylo COnico brevi, loculis | Containing one feed, crowned with the recepta- 



monofpermis, fig. 3, 4. i , cle and Ihort conic Style, fig. 3, 4. 



SEMINA quinque, hinc gibba, ihde angulata, fig. 6. | SEEDS five, on one fide gibbous, on the other dngu- 



| kf,j%, 6. 



The Hedera Helix begins to blow in funny afpecls towards the end of September, and according to fituation bloA 

 foms on through October, and November. This plant is one of the laft blowers, and is much reforted to by bees, 

 and flies of various fpecies, which fwarm on its branches, and feed on its blofloms, making fuch a humming 011 

 funny days as may be diftinguifhed at a considerable diftance. 



The berries encreafe in bulk gradually all through the winter months, and afe full formed by February ; in 

 April they ripen and turn very black, and are eaten by fevefal fpecies of thrufhes, and wild pigeons; Thus does 

 fructification manifeftly obtain in this inftance all through the winter months, as well as in the molTes and lichens. 



Sheep are very fond of Ivy, which in hard weather is a warm and wholfome food ; and therefore lhepherds 

 in fnowy feafons cut down branches for their flocks tobrouze on. Cato directs that in a fcarcity of hay, cattle mould 

 be foddered with Ivy. 



Profeflbr Kalm, in his travels through the greateft part of Ni America, faw but one plant of Ivy, and that was 

 running up the walls of a man's houfe : this fpecimen was probably carried thither by forrie European, who perhaps 

 was defirous of propagating in that new world, a plant that might ftill recall to his mind the pleafing Idea of his 

 native cottage, tufted with the foliage of this beautiful Evergreen* 



The antieiits held this plant in great efteem ; their Heroes and Poets are defcribed as wearing garlands compofed 

 of it* The fuppofition of its preventing intoxication is of very early date : Homer therefore mentions his Bacchus 

 as Ivy-crowned, and often defcribes his Heroes drinking out of a Cup made of the wood of Ivy. (_kititvj3iov.) 

 Cato tells us that with a cup of this kind we may diftinguifh wine that has been adulterated with water, for the wine 

 will be difcharged and the water remain : to fuch an extravagant affertion has this grave author been probably led 

 by relying on the fuppofed antipathy between the wine and ivy : This cup is ftill ufed in fome parts of the kingdom 

 as a remedy for a trembling hand ; but rational practice has not admitted any part of the Hedera into the Materia 

 Medica, Ivy4eaves however are faid to be fuccesfully applied to painful Corns. When it trails on the ground its 

 branches are fmall and weak ; and its leaves are divided into three lobes ; but when it climbs walls or trees it grows 

 much ftronger, and the leaf changes to an oval form: thefe different appearances induced old Botanifts to fuppofe 

 there were two or three different fpecies. In its variegated ftate it fometimes appears almoft white, and may perhaps be 

 the Hedera alba, and pallentes Hedera of Virgil. 



Few people are acquainted with the beauty of Ivy when fuffered to run up a ftake, and at length to form itfelf 

 into a ftandard, the lingular complication of its branches, and the vivid hue of its leaves, give it one of the firft 

 places amongft evergreens in a fhrubbery ; In woods when fuffered to groW large, and rampant, this plant by 

 twining round their bodies does great damage to timber trees; and therefore mould be carefully deflroyed : but 

 in ornamented Out-lets, where evergreens do not abound, a few trees covered with Ivy have a very pleafing 

 effect, and moreover induce birds of fong to haunt thofe thickets for the fake of the berries and fhelter. 



In the Stump of Ivy many birds build their Nefts particularly the Black-bird. 



When Ivy is prejudicial, it may eahly be deftroyed, tho' it has fpread to a great height, by cutting through 

 its TrUnk, and this fhows that the fibres which the Stalk throws out in fo lingular a manner ferve more to fup- 

 port than nourifh it. 



The foft wood of Ivy is made ufe of by Shoemakers to give a fmooth edge to their cutting knives. 



