A 



LS1NE MEDIA. 



c 



OMMON 



Ch 



ICKWEED. 



ALSINE Linnai Gen. Pi. Pentandria TrigyniA» 



Cal 5-phyllus. Petala ^-asqualia. Caps, i-locularis, 3-yalvis» 

 Rail Syn. Gen. 24. HerR^: Pentapetal;e Vasculiferje* 

 ALSIN& media* Linnai Syjl. Vegetab. p. 246. Flora Suecic. p. 37. 

 ALSINE foliis petiolatis, ovato lanceolatis, petalis bipartitis* Hatler hijl. helv. m 88cu 

 ALSINE media. Scopoti FI. Carn'wl. n. 376* 

 ALSINE media. Bauhin pin. p. 250. 



ALSINE media feu minor. Gerard emac. 611. Rati Syn. f, 347, Common Chlckweed. Hudfon Ft. Angl 

 p. 113. Oeder FI» Dan. 525, 438, 



RADIX annua, fibrofa, capillacea. 



CAULES plures, tenelli, teretes, fubrepentes, ramofi, 



viticulis geniculati, unifariam hirfuti, apicibus 



fenfim incrafiatis. 

 FOLIA ovato-acuta, glabra, leviter ciliata ; inferiors 



petiolata, fuperiora ieffilia, connata. 



PETIOLI ad balm latiora, hirfuti. 



PEDUNCULI uniflori, axillares, hirfuti, perada floref- 

 centia penduli, demum erecti. 



CALYX: PERiANTHiuivipentaphyllum, foliolis lanceo- 

 latis, concavis, fubcarinatis, marginatis, hir- 

 futis, Petalis longioribus, fig. 1 . 



COROLLA : Petala quinque, alba, nitida, ad bafm 

 fere partita, fig. 3, 4, 5. 



STAMINA : Filamenta quinque, alba, inter Petala 

 locata, Glandula ad bafin inftrucla ; Anthers 

 fubrotundse, purpurafcentes, Jig. 5, 6. 



PISTILLUM : Germen fubovatum ; Styli tres fili- 

 formes ; Stigmata fimplicia, fig. 7. 



PERICARPIUM : Capsula unilocularis, in valvulas 

 fex dehifcentes, fig. 8. 



SEMINA o£lo ad quindecem, fubreniformia, afpera, e 

 fufco-aurantiaca, pedicellis receptaculo connexa, 

 - fig- 9> IO > aua - 



ROOT annual, fibrous, capillary. 



STALKS numerous, tender, round, ftrikiiig root here 

 and there, branched, jointed and ftringy, hairy 

 on one fde only, growing thicker towards the top. 



LEAVES of a pointed oval fhape, fmooth, (lightly hairy 

 at the edges, the lowermoft {landing on foot- 

 ftalks, the uppermoft feffile, connate» 



FOOT-STALKS of the leaves broadeft at bottom, and 

 hairy. 



FOOT-STALKS of the flowers, each fuftaining one 

 flower, proceeding from the bofoms of the leaves* 

 hairy, when the flowering is over hanging- 

 down, finally becoming upright. 



CALYX > a PERiANTHiuMoffive leaves, each of which 

 is lanceolate, concave, nightly keel-fhaped at 

 bottom, with a margin at the edge, hairy, and 

 longer than the Petals, fig. 1. 



COROLLA confifts of five white mining Petals, di- 

 vided nearly to the bafe, fig. 3, 4, c k 



STAMINA: five white Filaments, placed betwixt 

 the Petals, furnifhed at bottom with a little 

 Gland ; Antherje roundifh, of a purplifh. 

 colour, fig. 5, 6. 



PISTILLUM : Germen fomewhat oval ; Styles three, 

 filiform; Stigmata Ample, fig. 7. 



SEED-VESSEL a Capsule of one cavity, fplitting 

 into fix valves, fig. 8. 



SEEDS from eight to fifteen, fomewhat kidney-maped, 

 of a brownifh orange colour, with a rough fur* 

 face, connected to the receptacle by little 

 foot-ftalks, fig. 9, 10, magnified. 



CHICKWEED being a plant which will grow in almoft any fituation, is confequently liable to afliime many 

 different appearances : when it grows in a rich foil, and fhady fituation, it will frequently become fo large as to 

 referable the Cerajlium aquaticum ; while at other times, on a dry barren wall, its leaves and ftalks will be fo minute 

 as to make the young botanift take it for fome fpecies different from the common Chickweed : happily however it 

 affords marks which if attended to, will readily diftinguifh it from the Cerajlium, and every other plant • exclufive 

 of its differing from the Cerajlium in its generic chafer, its Petals are fhorter than the leaves of its Calyx • while 

 in the Cerajlium they are longer ; hence a considerable difference will be obfervable at firft fight in the fize'of the 

 flowers of thefe two plants : and from all other plants related to it, it may be diftinguifhed by the fingular appear- 

 ance of its ftalk, which is alternately hairy on one fide only. b 



The molt common number of its Stamina with us is five ; yet I have often feen it with lefs, and fometimes with 

 more ; and this mconftancy in the number of its Stamina has been noticed by moft botanic writers : Gouan in his 

 Flor.Monfpel. mentions from 3 to 10, with as many Piftilla ; this circumftance with refpeft to the number of its 

 Stamina, unfortunately Separates it from other plants with which it appears to have by nature a very near relation • 

 but as five Stamina appear to be its moft conftant number, Linn^us could not have placed it amongft thofe plants 

 with ten Stamina, without doing violence to his fyftem. 



Of annual plants there are few more troublefome: it fows itfelf plentifully in the fummer, and remains green 

 throughout the winter, flowering during the whole time, if the weather be mild: but its chief feafon for flowering 

 is in the fpnng. In rich garden mould, where the ground is highly cultivated, and in the fields about town it 

 does a dealofmifchief: by the quicknefs of its growth and the great number of its moots, it covers and choaks 

 many young plants ; hence it mould be carefully weeded from dunghills. 



The feeds are very beautiful, and have the greateft affinity to thofe of the Cerajlium aquaticum. 



When the flowers firfr open, the foot-ftalks which fupport them are upright; as the flowers so off they 

 hang down ; and when the feeds become ripe, they again become erected. 



LiNNiEUS has obferved that the flowers open from nine in the morning till noon, unlefs rain falls on the fame 

 day, m which cafe they do not open : from what little obfervations I have made on this plant, it is not mbied to be 

 affected precifely m the fame manner here, having feen in the month of March, the bloffoms continue rather widely 

 expanded after repeated fhowers of rain. J 



It is considered as a wholefome food for Chicken and fmall Birds, whence, as Ray obferves, it has obtained its 

 name : boiled it refembles Spinach fo exactly as fcarcely to be diftinguifhed from it, and is equally wholefome, being 

 a plant which may be procured almoft any where very early in the fpring, it may be no bad fubftitute where 

 Spinach or other greens are not to be had in plenty, and much preferable to Nettle-tops and other plants which the 

 lower fort of people feek after 111 the fpring with fo much avidity. Swine are very fond it, and prefer it to Turnep-tops 

 It is eaten by many Infects, particularly by the Caterpillar of the Phal.ena Villica or Cream [hot Tmer Moth and 

 other hairy Caterpillars of the Tyger kind. 



. , As a medicine if contains no aftive principle; but is frequently applied to hot, painful, and infiamatorv fwellmgs 

 either by itfelf, brmfed, or mixed with poultices, with good fuccefs, ' ° ' 



