ERYNGIUM MARITIMUM. 
159 
between Romney and Dungeness, where this plant grows in great 
abundance and very luxuriantly. 
The root is long and creeping ; the stem rises to the height of 
from one to two feet, erect, branching, round, obscurely furrowed 
and leafy ; the lower leaves are reniforra, lobed, plaited, and stand 
upon footstalks ; the leaves on the stem are sessile ; the whole are 
smooth, rigid, toothed with sharp spines, of a pale glaucous colour, 
with the spines and nerves white; the flowers are produced in 
terminal, conical heads, and supplied with paleae, which separate 
the florets, they are bicuspid, spinous, and somewhat longer than 
the florets; the involucre is composed of many spreading acute 
pointed leaves ; the calyx is divided at the brim into five segments, 
which are spinous and stand erect; the corolla consists of five 
oblong blue petals with inflected points ; the filaments are longer 
than the corolla, and furnished with oblong anthers ; the styles are 
filiform and support simple stigmas ; the germen is inferior, hairy, 
and becomes two oblong connected seeds. 
Sensible Qualities, &c. The root of eryngo has no peculiar 
odour, to the taste it manifests a pleasant sweetness, and on being 
chewed for some time imparts a slight aromatic pungency ; these 
qualities are extracted by water. 
Medical Properties and Uses. The remedial virtues of 
Eryngo are not very powerful, it is supposed to be diuretic, aperient, 
and antiscorbutic. By Boerhaave it was esteemed one of the prin- 
cipal aperient roots ; it has also been recommended in visceral 
obstructions and gonorrhoea, but it has now fallen into disuse. The 
roots are frequently candied, and form a pleasant sweetmeat: we are 
told that the young flowering shoots have the flavour of asparagus 
when boiled,* and may be eaten as a pot-herb ad libitum. 
Off. The Root. 
* LiDD. Flor. Saec. 
