Chi ron i a Centaurium. Centaury. 



CHIRONIA Lin. Gem PL Pentandria Monogynia. 



Cor. rotata. Plfilllum declinatum. Stamina tubo coroliae infidentia* Anther a 

 demum fpirales. Pericarp. 2-loculare 



RaiiSyn. Gen. 18. Herb^e fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo. 



CHIRONIA Centaurium. 



GENTIANA Centaurium corollis quinquefidis infundibuliformibus, caule dichotomo, piftillo fimplici* 

 Lin. Syfi. Vegetal, p. 122. Sp. Plant, p. 332. Fl. Susc. n. 232. 



GENTIANA caule dichotomo ; floribus infundibuliformibus, ftriatis, quinquefidis. Hatter i Hifl.n. 648. 



GENTIANA Centaurium. Scopoli PL Cam. n. 293; 



CENTAURIUM minus Baub. Pin. 278. 



CENTAURIUM minus vulgare. Parkins. 272. 



CENTAURIUM parvum. Gerard, emac. 547. Rail Syn. p. 286. Small Purple Centory. Hudfon 

 Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 102. Ltghtfoot FL Scot. p. 152. 



, , ^___ L— ... .. , , „ 



RADIX annua, fibrofa, lignofa, flavefcens. % ROOT annual, fibrous, woody, and of a yellowifh 



I colour. 



CAULIS fpithamasus, et ultra, ereclus, plerumque, t STALK about feven inches high or more, upright^ 



fimplex, glaber, angulofus. I generally fimple, fmooth, and angular. 



FOLIA oppofita, feffilia, glabra, radicalia oblonga, % LEAVES oppofite, feffile, fmooth, thofe of the root 

 apice obtufa, bafi anguftata, caulina ovato- 1 oblong, blunt at the point and narrowed at 



lanceolata, ereela, trinervia, fuperioribus faepef the bafe ; thofe of the ft alk narrow, pointed, 



incurvis. I upright, three-ribbed, the uppermofr. often 



I bent inward. 



FLORE S rofei, corymbofi, erecli, feffiles. ? FLOWERS rofe-coloured, growing in a corymbus, 



I upright, and feffile* 



CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, quinquefi- f CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, divided into 



dum, erectum, corollas fubagglutinatum, per- 1 five fegments, upright, (lightly glued to the 



fiftens, laciniis fubulatis, fubtriangularibus, % corolla, permanent, the fegments tapering to 



membrana connexis. Jig. 1, 2. audi. . | a point, fomewhat triangular, connected by a 



I membrane. Jig, 1, 2. magnified. 



COROLLA monopetala, infundibuliformis, tubus cy- | COROLLA monopetalous, funnel-fhaped, the tube cy- 



lindraceus, ftriatus, tenuiffimus, calyce duplo| lyndrical, ftriated, extremely thin, twice the 



lougior," limbus quinquepartitus, roieus, laci- 1 length of the calyx, limb divided into five feg- 



nlis ovatis, patentibus. Jig. 3. | ments, of a rofe-colour, the fegments ovate 



I and fpreading. Jig. 3. 



STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, alba, filiformia, ex | STAMINA : five Filaments, white, thread-fhaped; 



apice tubi enata. Anthers oblongae, in- 1 fpringing from the top of the tube. A^n- 



cumbentes* flav®, demum fpiraliter contort®. | therje oblong, incumbent, of a yellow co- 



fig. 4, 5, 6. I lour, finally twifted. fig. 4, 5, 6. 



PISTILLUM: Germen oblongum, tubum corollas im- J PISTILLUM : Germen oblong, filling the tube of 



plens. Stylus albus, filiformis, genuine | the corolla. Style white, of equal thick- 



dimidio brevior, declinatus, aliquando bifidus. % nefs throughout, half the length of the ger- 



Stigma crailum, bilobum, viilofum, Jig. 7,* men, inclining to one fide, fometimes bifid; 



g^ g i J Stigma thick, compofed of two lips and 



I villous, fig. 7, 8, 9. 



PERICARPIUM: CaPsula oblonga, acuta, nitida, J SEED-VESSEL : a Capsule, of an oblong fhape, 

 tubo corolla» obtecla, bilocularis, bipartibilis. | pointed, (billing, covered by the tube of the 



I corolla, divifible into two parts, with a cavity 



¥ in each. 



SEMINA numerofa, parva, fubrotunda, fiavefcentia. | SEEDS numerous, fmall, roundifh, of a yellowifiY 



$ colour. 



Thofe who have been accullomed to confider this well-known plant as a Gentlana, will be ftartled at feeing it 

 here firft announced as a Chlronla; but when they come attentively to examine its parts of fr unification, they will 

 wonder how they could' fo readily acquiefce in joining it to a genus with which its flrufture is wholly irrecon- 

 cileable. It agrees perfeftly with Linnjeus's character of the genus Chlronla, the effence of which confifts in its 

 twijle'd ' Anther a: \ and it is worthy of obfervation, that the bloiioms of two of the Chlronla s, not unfrequently 

 met with in the gardens of the curious, are of the fame colour as the Centaury. Thefe fads have induced me to 

 add a new genus to the Englifli Catalogue, whereby this plant fortunately aflumes its proper name*. 



The Centaury grows wild in dry and barren fields, on heaths by the fides of hedges, and fometimes in woods, 

 where it ufually acquires a greater height. In the neighbourhood of Charlton and Coombe Woods it is not unfrequent, 

 and flowers in July and Augiift. 



A variety, with white flowers, is not uncommon. m 



This herb is extremely bitter, with a difagreeable tafle, whence, Baron Haller obferves, the ancients called it 

 fel terra, or gall of the earth. From an idea, however, that all bitters are good ftomachic medicines, it has 

 acquired no fmall degree of medicinal fame, and is particularly recommended in all weaknefles of the Stomach ; 

 alio in the Jaundice, Green-ficknefs, Worms, Agues, Gout, Scurvy, &c. 



It may be given in fubftance to a drachm; in infufion or decoftion to two ounces ; the extract. to a fcruple. 



Authors have remarked, that it is a plant very difficult of cultivation. 



* Centaury has it name ,vna-^ or K „r* V? »o, from Chiron the Centaur, « Centaurea curatus dicitur Chiron, cum Kerculi» except! hofpitb 

 " nenrsetatidi arma fagi'tra excidiffet in pedcm: quare aiiqui Chironion vocant." Plin. I. z' y c 6./. 635. 



