Glechoma hederacea. Ground-ivy. 



GLECHOMA Linnaei. Gen. PL Didynamia Gymnospermia. 



Antherarum fingulum par in formam crucis connivens. Calyx 5-fidus. 

 Raii Syn. Gen. 14. Suffrutices et Herb^e verticillatje. 



GLECHOMA hederacea. Lin. Syji. Vegetal, p. 445. foliis reniformibus crenatis. Spec. PL p. 807. 

 PL Suecic, p. 202. 



CHAMiECLEMA caule procumbente radicato, foliis reniformibus rotunde crenatis. Haller hijl. n. 245. 



CALAMINTHA hederacea. Scopoli. FL Carniol. p. 423. 



CALAMINTHA humilior, folio rotundiore. Tourn. Infi. R. H. 194. 

 HEDERA terreftris. Bauhin, Pin. 306. 

 HEDERA terreftris. Gerard, emac. 856. 



HEDERA terreftris vulgaris. Parkin/on. 6j6. Rati Syn. p. 296, Ground-ivy, Gill-go-by-ground, 

 Alehoof, or Tunhoof. Hudfon. FL Angl. p. 224. 



RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 



CAULES feu potius Flagellar plures, tetragoni, humi 

 repentes et late fe diffundentes, unde exfur- 

 gunt caules floriferi palmares aut femipedales, 

 quadrati, hiriuti, (pilis deorfum verfis,) e- 

 recti, infirmi, geniculati, geniculis pilofis. 



FOLIA oppofita, longe petiolata, fubreniformia, cre- 

 nata, venofa, petiolis fuperne fulcatis. 



FLORES purpurei, verticillatim circa caulem difpofiti. 



PEDUNCULI triflori. 



INVOLUCRUM univerfale et partiale, jig. 2, 3, di- 



phyllum, fetaceum, fed in flofculo interme- 



dio, jig. 4, partiale defideratur. 



CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, tubulofum, 

 quinquedentatum, dentibus fubasqualibus, a- 

 cuminatis, hirfutum, ftriatum, jig, 5. 



COROLLA monopetala, tubulofa, ringens, tubus tenu- 

 is, fuperne compreffus, labium fuperius erec- 

 tum obtufum, femibifidum, inferius patens, 

 majus, trifidum, lacinia intermedia majori, 

 emarginata, ad bafin hirfuta et maculis fa- 

 turatius purpureis notata, jig. 7, 8. 



STAMINA : Filament a quatuor fub labio fuperiore, 

 quorum duo breviora: Anthers conniven- 

 tes in formam crucis, albae, jig. 9. 



PISTILLUM ; Germen quadrifidum, fig. 11, glandu- 

 la cinctum, jig. 10. Stylus filiformis, corol- 

 la longior : Stigma bifidum, acutum. 



PERICARP1UM nullum, calyx in finu fovens 

 SEMINA quatuor, ovata. 



ROOT perennial and fibrous. 



STALKS, or rather Shoots, numerous, fquare, creep- 

 ing on the ground, andfpreading wide, from 

 whence arife the flowering flalks, which are 

 from four to fix inches high, fquare, hirfute, 

 (the hairs turning downward,) upright, weak, 

 jointed, the joints hairy. 



LEAVES oppofite, ftanding on long foot-ftalks, fome- 

 what kidney-fhaped, notched, veiny, the 

 leaf-ftalks grooved on the upper fide. 



FLOWERS of a purple colour, difpofed in whirls a- 

 round the ftalk. 



FLOWER-STALKS fupporting three flowers. 



INVOLUCRUM both univerfal and partial, jig. 2, 3, 

 each compofed of two fine pointed leaves, 

 which however are wanting in the middle 

 flower,^. 4. 



CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, with 

 five teeth, (which are nearly equal, and long 

 pointed,) hairy, and finely grooved, jig. 5. 



COROLLA monopetalous, tubular, ringent, the tube 

 {lender, and compreffed above ; the upper lip 

 upright, obtufe, divided half way through ; 

 the lower lip larger, fpreading, divided into 

 three fegments, of which the middle one is 

 largeft, with a flight notch, hairy at its bafe, 

 and marked with purple fpots of a deeper co- 

 lour, fig. 7, 8. 



STAMINA : four Filaments placed under the upper 

 lip, two fhort and two long : Anthers 

 white, forming a crofs, fig. 9. 



PITSILLUM : Germen divided into four,^-. 1 1, fur- 

 rounded by a gland, jig. 80 : Style thread- 

 fhaped, larger than the corolla : Stigma 

 bifid, and pointed. 



SEED-VESSEL none, the calyx in its cavity contain- 

 ing four 



SEEDS of an oval fhape. 



GROUND-IVY has an aromatic, though not very agreeable fmell; and a quick, bitterifh, warm tafte. This 

 herb is an ufeful corroborant, aperient, and detergent ; and hence ftands recommended againfl laxity, debility, 

 and obltruclions of the vifcera. Some have had a great opinion of it for cleanfing and healing ulcers of the inter- 

 nal parts, even of the lungs ; and for purifying of the blood. It is cuftomary to infufe the dried leaves in mak 

 liquors ; a practice not to be commended, though it readily communicates its virtue, and likewife helps to fine 

 them down : fcarce any other herb has this erTect more remarkably than Ground-ivy . Lewis' 's Dijp. p. 150. 



From the latter ufe, the plant has obtained the names of Alehoof 'and Tunhoofi. Rail h'ifl. p. 567. 



The juice of the plant drawn up the noftrils, not only mitigates, but totally removes violent and inveterate 

 headachs. Ibid. 



Notwithftanding the credit which this plant has obtained with former writers on the Materia Medica, the 

 modern practice holds it in little eftimation. 



Red hairy tumours are frequently found on it, which are occafioned by the Cy mips Glechoma, Linnati Faun. 

 Suecic. n. 1520. 



It flowly expels thofe plants which grow next it, and hence impoverifhes paftures. Lin. FL Suecic. p. 202. 



Cattle are not fond of it, and horfes are faid to be hurt by feeding on it: to make amends for this however, the 

 juice of the herb, mixed with a little wine, and applied morning and evening, is faid to take away the film on 

 horfes eyes. Linn. FL Suecic. ex Loes. 123. 



The plant is well known to grow under hedges, in woods, on banks, and fometimes in dry paftures. It 

 varies in fize according to its fituation ; the flowers alfo vary in the degrees of purple; and make their 



. .arance in April, May, and June. 



