238 



WEEDS AXr USEFU^ PLA^'TS. 



1. B. vulgaris, L. Leaves ovate-oljlong or ovate-lanceolate, crenate 

 dentate or obsoletely serrate, sometimes pinnatifidly incised, petiolate. 

 Common Brunella. Heal-all. Self-heal. 



jF?-. Brunelle ordinaire. Germ. Gemeine Brunelle. Span. Brunela. 



stem 8 - 12 or 15 inches high, erect or ascendiug, somewhat branched, especially at base 

 Leaves 1-3 inches long ; petioles half an inch - 2 inches long (those of the radical or lower 

 .eaves often 3-4 inches' long) ; the floixd-leaves bract-hke, orbicular-cordate, sessile, with a 

 short abrupt acumination, the lower ones conspicuously acuminate. CymuZ^s S-flowered, 

 crowded into compact imbricated oblong terminal spikes. Bradeoles none. Corolla violet- 

 purple (rarely pale purple or nearly white), smoothish. 



Fields, road -sides, open woodlands, &c.: introduced. Native of the old world. jPZ. July- 

 September. Fr. August -November. 



Obs. This plant appears to be distributed over the four quarters of 

 the globe ; but I should judge it not to be a native, here. Although 

 not a pernicious weed, it is so com.mou, on our farms, that it seemed 

 proper to notice it in this w^ork. Its ancient reputation for healing 

 wounds — like that of many other such medicaments of the olden times — 

 is now quite obsolete. The famous Mad-dog Scull-cap (Sciitella'ria 

 lateriflo'ra, L.) — which once figured in the Gazettes as a specific for 

 Hydrophobia — belongs to this tribe, — and is frequent in wet meadows. 



14. MAEEU'BIUM, L. Hoarhound. 



[Said to be derived from the Hebrew, Marrol ; meaning a bitter juice.] 



Calyx tubular, 5-10-nerved, nearly equally 5- lO-toothed, — ^the teeth 

 more or less spiny-pointed, finally spreading. Corolla with the upper 

 lip erect, flatfish or concave, somewhat bifid — lovrer hp spreading, 3- 

 lobed, middle lobe broader ; tube inchided in the calyx. Stamens in- 

 cluded ; anthers 2-celled, — the cells divaricate. Akenes obtuse at summit, 

 but not truncate. Hoary-tomentose perennials with rugose leaves and 

 many-flowered axillary cymules. 



1, M. vulga're, L. Stems ascending : leaves roundish-ovate or oval, 

 crenate-dentate, softly villous and canescent beneath ; calyx with 10 

 subulate recurved teeth. 

 Common Maerubium. Hoarhound. 



Fr. Marrub blanc. Germ. Der weisse, Andorn. Span. Marrubio. 



stems 9-18 inches high, caespitose or branching from the base. Leaves about 2 inches 

 long, abruptly narrowed at base to a flat nerved woolly petiole half an inch to an inch long. 

 Cymules dense, sessile in the rather distant axils ; hracteoles subulate. Corolla white, 

 small. 



Stony banks and waste places : introduced. Native of Europe and middle Asia. Fl. 

 July -August. Fr. September. 



Obs. This has been introduced as a medicinal herb, — and is partially 

 naturalized in many places. It has a weed-like appearance, but does not 

 incline to spread much,-— and may well be tolerated to some extent, for 

 its valuable tonic properties. The Syrups and Candies, prepared from 

 or with it, are excellent pectoral medicines. 



