Spiraea Ulmaria. Meadow -Sweet. 



SPIRAEA Lin. Gen. PL Icosandria Pentagynia. 



Cat. 5-fidus. Petala 5. Cap/, polyfpermae, 



Raii Syn. Gen. 15. Herb^e semine nudo polyspermy. 



SPIRAEA Ulmaria foliis pinnatis : impari majore lobato, floribus cymofis. Lin. Syft. Vegetab. p. 

 393. Sp. PL p. 702. FL Suec. n. 440. 



FILIPENDULA foliis pinnatis, acute ferratis, minimis intermiflis, extrema trilobata maxima. 

 Haller. hift, n. 1135. 



SPIRAEA Ulmaria Scopoli FL Cam. n. 603. 



BARB A CAPRI floribus compaftis. Bauh. Pin. 164. 



ULMARIA I. B. III. 488. 



REGINA PRATI Ger. emac. p. 1043. 



ULMARIA vulgaris. Parkin/. 592. Raii Syn. p. 259. Meadow-Sweet. Hudfon FL Angl. ed. 2. 

 p. 217. Lightfoot FL Scot. p. 259. 



RADIX perennis, crafiitie minimi digiti, obliqua, $ ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of the little finger, 

 rubicunda, fibris plurimis ex fufco lutefcen- | oblique, reddiih, furniihed with numerous 



tibus defcendentibus inflrufta. Q fibres of a brownifh yellow colour, running 



I deep into the earth. 



CAULIS bi feu tripedalis et ultra, ereclus, foliofus, $ STALK from two to three feet high or more, up- 

 angulatus, glaber, hinc inde rubicundus, | right, leafy, angular, fmooth, here and there 



plerumque fimplex. <>> of a reddifh colour, for the moil part un- 



| branched. 



FOLIA alterna, petiolata, pinnata, 3-vel 5-juga : $ LEAVES alternate, {landing on foot-flalks, pinnated, 

 foliolis oppofitis, feffilibus, ovato-oblongis, JJ pinnae from three to five pair, oppofite, fef- 



fupra viridibus, glabris, lucidiufculis, line- <} hie, ovato-oblong, above green, fmooth and 



atis, minutim venulofis, rugofis, fubtus ner- J fomewhat fhining, minutely veined, and 



vofis, minutim tomentofis, cinereis, margine | wrinkled, the veins impreffed, beneath 



incifo-dentatis, undique ferratis, minutim <> ribbed, covered with an aih-coloured downy 



ciliatis ; terminatis foliolo majore, trifido- | fubftance, the edge jagged, ferrated, and 



palmato. Q finely edged with hairs, the terminal pinna 



I large and deeply divided into three fegments. 



PETIOLI fubtus convexi, fupra concavi; radicales LEAF-STALKS convex beneath, concave above, 

 triplo longiores. | thofe of the radical leaves three times as long 



<> as the others. 



STIPUL^E amplexicaules, acutae, margine undique | STIPULE ftem-clafping, pointed, ferrated, and finely 

 ferratae, minutim ciliatae ; partiales in petiolo $ edged with hairs, the partial ones on the 



communi intra fingulum par pinnarum, fub } common foot-ftalk betwixt each pair of 



oppofite, parvae, inequales magnitudine, % pinnae, nearly oppofite, fmall, unequal in 



ovatae, dentato-ferratae, pariter fubtus to- $ fize, ovate, indented or ferrated, and like 



mentofae. $ the pinnae downy underneath. 



CORYMBUS terminalis, ereftus, minutim pubefcens, CORYMBUS terminal, upright, (lightly pubefcent, 

 pedunculatus, nudus, compofitus e cymis | flalked, naked, compofed of feveral une- 



plurimis inaequalibus, intermedia feffili. <> qual cymae, the intermediate one feffile. 



CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, fubcampa- | CALYX : a Pe'rianthium of one leaf, fomewhat 

 nulatura, ad lentem pubefcens, pallidum, <> bell-fhaped, if magnified {lightly downy, of 



quinquefidum, laciniis ovatis, acutis, demum I a pale colour, divided into five fegments, 



reflexis. Jig. 1. <> -which are ovate, pointed, and finally re- 



l flexed,^. 1. 



COROLLA: Petala quinque, albida, oblongo- <j> COROLLA : five whitifh Petals, oblong, roundiih, 

 rotundata, unguiculata, patentia, calyce | clawed, fpreading twice the length of the 



duplo longiora, Jig. 2. <> calyx, Jig. 2. 



STAMINA: Filamenta viginti plura, filiformia, <> STAMINA : twenty Filaments or more, filiform, 

 flavefcentia, longitudine corollas, calyci in- $ yellowiih, the length of the corolla, inferted 



ferta. Anthers fubrotundae, flavefcentes, $ into the calyx. Anthers nearly round, 



fig- 3- i and yellowiih, ^.3. 



PISTILLUM: Germina quinque, fex, five plura; <> PISTILLUM : Germina five, fix, or more ; Styles 

 Styli totidem, fuperne incrafl'ati, reflexa; | as many, thickened above and turned back ; 



Stigmata capitata, Jig. 4. ty Stigmata forming little heads, jig. 4. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsule plurimae, fpiraliter con- | SEED-VESSEL : Capsules feveral, twilled toge- 

 tortae, jig. 5. $ ther fpirally, fig. 5. 



The Meadow-Sweet has been juflly celebrated for its fragrance and beauty, the agreeable odour which the 

 whole plant, but more particularly the flowers, diffufe, has recommended it for the purpofe of fcenting rooms, 

 and purifying the air, by flrewing it on the floors ; it is faid not to affecl the head like other perfumes : the 

 leaves alfo. like thofe of Burnet, impart an agreeable flavour to wine and other liquors. 



As an ornamental plant, it has long held a place in our gardens, .not only in its wild flate, but with 

 variegated leaves and double flowers. 



It puts in its claim alfo for medicinal virtues, which, however, do not appear to be of the mofl powerful 

 kind; the leaves are recommended as mildly aflringent, and ufeful in Dyfenteries ; the flowers are faid to 

 be antifpafmodic and diuretic : their pleafantYmell, in which their virtue refides, is foon diffipated by keeping. 



It. grows plentifully in wet meadows and by the fides of ponds and ditches, flowering from July to September. 



Horfes and kine are faid to refufe it, fheep to eat it, and goats to be particularly fond of it; as it forms a 

 great part of the paflurage in fome meadows, it is of cqnfequence for the hufbandman more clearly to afcertain. 

 whether horfes and cows refufe the young foliage, and whether they reject, the whole plant when made into hay. 



We have frequently obferved fmall red tubercles on the leaves, which we have fuppofed to be occafioned 

 by fome fpecies of Cynips. 



