Symphytum officinale* Comfrey, 



SYMPHYTUM Lin. Gen. PL Pentandria Monogynia. 



Corolla limbus tubulato ventricofus : fauce claufa radiis fubulatis. 

 Raii Syn. Gen. 13. HeRb,e aTsperifolije. 



SYMPHYTUM officinale foXus ovato-lanceolatis dccurrentibus. Lin. Syfi. Vegetal, p. 158. Sp. PI. ioci 



Fl. Suec. n. 165. 



SYMPHYTUM Halkn Hifi. 11. 600. 



SYMPHYTUM Scopoii FL Cam. ri. 195. 



SYMPHYTUM Coufolida major. Bauh.pin. 259. 



CONSOLIDA major. Gerard emac. 866. 



.SYMPHYTUM majus vulgare. Parkinfon 523. Raii Syn, p. 230. Comfrey. Hud/on. FL AngL 



ed. 2. p. 81. Lightfoot Fl. Scot. p. 134. 



RADIX perennisj magna, ramofa, extus nigricans, intus? ROOT perennial, large, branched, on the outfide 



alba, fubdukenti-mfipida, fucco tenaci L g1uti- 1 blackifh, white within, maukifh, abounding 



nofo abundans. % with a filmy juice. 



CAULIS bipedalis, ereftus, ramofus, teres, fubanguk- 1 STALK about two feet high, upright, branched, round, 



tus, fcaber ; pube. rigida, recurva. $ yet flightly angular, rough j the hairs rigid 



I and bending backwards. 



FOLIA alterna, inferne petiolata, fuperne feffilia, decur- | LEAVES alternate, the lower ones {landing on foot» 



fentia, ovata, acuta, fpithamaea, etiam pedalia, | ftalks, the upper ones feffile, decurrent, ovate, 



parum rugOfa, veriofa, utrinque fcabra, mar- 1 pointed, feven inches, or even a foo£ in length, 



giue fubundulata, ciliata. $ fomewhat wrinkly, veined, rough on both 



I fides, the edges (lightly waved, and fringed 



$ with hairs. 



FLORES ex albo-lutefcentes, raro purpiifeij. cernui, | FLOWERS of a yellowifh white colour, rarely purple, 



racemofi, racemis plerumque geminis, invo- ^ drooping, placed on racemi or branches, which 



lutis, multifloris. | ufually grow two together, turn fpirally in- 



I Wards, and fupport many flowers. 



PEDUNCULI racemorum& florum teretes, hiffuti. ? PEDUNCLES both of the racemi and flowers, round 



I and very hairy. 



CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, villofum, pro- $ CALYX : aPERiANTHiuM -of one leaf, hairy j deeply 



funde quinquefidum: laciuiis lanceolatis acutis, | divided into five fegments, which are la'nceo- 



carinatis, ere&is. Jig. 1. $ late, keel'd and upright fig. 1. 



COROLLA infundibuii-formis, ex luteo-alba, decidua ; | COROLLA funnel-fhaped, of a yellowifh white colour, 



'tubus crarVus, longitudine calycis, apice extus ^ deciduous ; the tube thick, the length of the 



noratus punctis quinque depreflis, fig. 2; limbus f calyx, marked externally at the top. with five 



©vatus, e tubo fenfim ampliatp, minutim quin- | fmall depreffions ; fig. 2. the limb ovate from 



quefidus-, laciniis brcvibus, rotundatis, revo- t the gradual widening of the tube, divided 



lutis; 'faux claufa: fquarnis neclareis quinque | into five fhort roundish fegments, which are 



lanceolatis, acutis, margiue craffis, ferrulato- t rolled back ; the mouth clofed with five long 



dentatis, conniventibus, corolla brevioribus. I and pointed nectaries, thick at the edge, with 



J%*:4> 5- t numerous teeth-like points, clofing at top, 



I fhorter than the corolla, fig. 4, 5. 



STAMINA:' Filament A quinque, lanceolata, alba, f STAMINA : five, lanceolate, white, fhortifh Fila- 

 breviufeula; Anthers oblongae, apice et bafi | ments ; Anthers oblong, bifid both at top 



bifid*, luteicentes, ercCtas, rub fquamis nee- | and at bottom, of a yellowifh colour, upright, 



tareis occultatae; fig. 3. f hid by the nectaries, fig. 3. 



PISTILLUM : Germen quadripartitum • lo.bis fubro- | PISTILLUM : Ger men divided into four lobes, which 

 tundis, obtufis, viridibus ; Stylus fubulatus, ? are roundifh, blunt and green ; Style taper- 



albus, inter lobos germinis furgens, corolla | ing, white,, arifing from the middle betwixt 



paulo longior, apice obliquus ; Stigma par- f the lobes, a little longer than the corolla, with 



vum, obtufum. fig. 6. f a fmali obliquity. at top; Stigma fmall and 



$ blunt, fig. 6* 



SEMINA quatuor in fundo calycis, majufcula,- angulata, | SEEDS four, in the bottom of the calyx, largifh, angu- 

 nigricantia, nitida. fig. 7, | lar, blackifh and mining, fig. 7. 



^ The Comfrey is "a very common plant by river fides, on the edges of wet ditches, and in other moift fixa- 

 tions ; it flowers from June to September. 



Its bloffoms are for the moft part of a yellowifh white colour* but in fome parts of England, and abroad, 

 they are more commonly purple* 



As a medicinal plant the Comfrey has been held in high eftimation, its confolidating virtues have however been 

 carried to a ridiculous excels; the roots, which are full of a glutinous juice, agree in quality with the roots of 

 M-arfh-mallow, and hence are recommended, internally, in fpittings of blood, purgings, fluxes, and ulcers of the 

 bladder ; externally, by way of poultice to frefh wounds, fradured bones, bad ulcers, bruifes, gouty fwellings, &c. 



A decoction of the powdered root, prepared in a particular manner, yields a fine fcarlet colour. Hellot 

 teinture, p. 2,S1' 



It is generally left untouched by cattle. I know of no plant, that on being repeatedly cut down, produces 

 iuch a quantity of herbage. 



