26 
ALTHJ5A OFFICINALIS. 
OfF. The Herb and Seeds. 
Off. Pp. Ext. Hyosciami. L. Ed. 
Tinct. Hyosciami. Ed. L. and D. 
ALTHAEA OFFICINALIS. 
Marsh-mallow.* 
Class MONADELPHIA. — Order POLYANDRIA. 
Nat. Ord. Column ace^. Linn. Malvace^, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Calyx double, exterior 9-cleft. Arils very 
numerous, 1-seeded. 
Spec. Char. Leaves simple, downy. 
This species of Althseaf is indigenous to Britain, and grows 
commonly near the sea-shore, and in salt marshes ; it is found in 
great abundance and perfection in the Romney Marshes, in Kent : 
flowering in the Autumn. The root is perennial, long, tough, white 
and fibrous; the stalk grows upright, firm, and woolly, somewhat 
branched towards the top, and rises to the height of three or four 
feet ; the leaves are elliptic and pointed, with a lobe ou each side, 
irregularly serrated, covered with a soft down, and stand upon long 
round foot-stalks ; there are two stipules, narrow, and placed at the 
base of each leaf-stalk ; the caly x, a double perianthium, the exterior 
consisting of nine, and the interior of five narrow pointed segments ; 
corolla composed of five inversely heart-shaped petals; stamina 
numerous, united at the base into a cylinder, and terminated by kid- 
ney shaped antherae ; germen orbicular, style cylindrical, short, and 
furnished with numerous long stigmata ; seeds numerous, kidney- 
shaped, placed in a circle, and covered with an arillus. 
Properties. Every part of this plant abounds with mucilage, 
more especially the roots, a decoction of which, yields nearly half 
the weight of the roots employed, of a gummy mucilaginous matter, 
which reddens the infusion of turnsole, and " differs from the solu- 
" tion of gum arable, by not being precipitated, when a solution of 
• Fig. a. represents a branch, everj part of the natural size. h. The calyx, c. The 
stamina, d. The pistillum. e, A seed, 
t Eleven species of the Altbsea tribe are cultivated in our gardens. Uort, Cant, 
