Plants, LXXXL 



Vol. IV. No. 37* 



GOMMEPiCÏAL - PLANTS» 



Fig. I. Tlie Liquorice. 



(Gly cirri dza glabra.) 



THhe Liquorice grows wild in Spain , France, 

 Italy and the fotitbern parts of the Aßatick lluf- 

 fia; by culture ft alfo became indigenous in va- 

 rious parts of Germany, efpecially in fonie tracts 

 of Franconia and Suabia , where it is cultivated 

 in great quantity. 



It thrives belt in a fandy, yet not poor foil; 

 the root is about the thicknefs of a thumb, the 

 ftalks which giow & ox 6 feet high, wither in 

 autumn, but germinate again in fpring. The 

 violet - blue flowers Ça) appear in July between 

 the plumy leaves, and are followed by little husks 

 (J>) which contain the lentil - like feeds» 



The root (c) which thrives under ground, is 

 properly the ufeful part of the plant. It contains 

 a fweet fluff which is ufed in different difeafes. 

 The outßde colour of the root is tawny; the in- 

 fide of a fine brimflone colour. 



It is either eaten raw , or the juice is ex- 

 tracted by water. The extracted juice is thicke- 

 ned, by boiling, into a tough fubflance, which, 

 dried in the fun to a darkhrown fluff, affords the 

 well known Liquorice, 



It chiefly confiitufes a confiderabTe commer- 

 cial article in Spain, where it is prepared in abun- 

 dance, and whence it is fent to other countries in 

 lumps covered with bay - leaves. 



In Phyfick it is ufed as a refoîvent, efpecially 

 in Coughs. 



Fig. 2. The Carol) - Tree, or St* 

 John's bread. 



{Cer atonia ßliqua.} 



The common Caroh - Tree equals in fize the 

 ash - tree. It is moft common in Spain, Sicily,, 

 Egypt and the Island Candia or Creta ano thiives- 

 belt in a flony foil. The leaves (-B) are evergreen, 

 thick and fmooth , and grow by pairs on the 

 ftalks-. The little red flowers ÇA) grow like cl li- 

 fters of grapes on the branches without proper 

 ftalks. The husklike fruit ox St. JoJuisbread *) (C> 

 is of a dusky colour and grows to the length of 

 5 or 6 inches, and the thicknefs of a thumb. The 

 little flat feeds are as hard as ftones« 



The fruit is on account of its fweef and well 

 tafled pulp an agréable food and frequently eaten 

 in the eaftern and fouthern part» of Europe, 

 where it alfo con Ritutes a valuable article of 

 trade, the reft of Europe being provided witk 

 the dried fruit from thofe countries. 



In Egypt it is preffed out before it is dried* 

 and the juice ufed for preferving fruits and. pre- 

 paring fweet wines. 



The fine red fpotfced pith of the tree is fre- 

 quently ufed by joiners. In Germany the Caroh- 

 tree only thrives in hot houfes. 



*) The Name St. John's hread derives from an oïd faying, that John the Bantift lived on it in the defers. 



