The BRITISH HERBAL. 
35 
GENUS IV. 
FLOWERING RUSH. 
B u r O M u s. 
THE leaves are long and narrow. The flowers are difpofed in a kind of umbel which has 2 
three- leaved cup. Ea h confifts of fix petals, three larger within, and three fmalier without, 
and fix capfules for the feeds follow the flower. 
Linn^us places this among his Enneandria, becaufe its flower has nine filaments in the centre ; fepa- 
rating it by feveral claffes from the globe-flower and marfli marygold, to which its flowers and leed- 
vefiTels fhew it manifeft:ly belongs. 
There is but one known fpecies of this genus, and that is a native of Britain. 
We fee this clafs not only comprehends fewer genera than many others, but that feveral of thofe 
have but a fingle fpecies; 
The Flowering Rufh. 
Butomus. 
The root confifts of a multitude of long, flen- 
der and tough fibres joined to a fmall head ; ma- 
ny of thefe heads grow together, fo that one 
clufl:er of the roots will be extreamly large. 
From thefe rife together the leaves and flralks"; 
thefe form a kind of bulbous bottom, and the 
leaves furround one another, as well as the ftalk, 
to fome height ■, after this they fcparate ; and they 
arc long and narrow : they are not flat, but of a 
three cornered fliape, and are thick, and full of a 
light, loofe pith. Their colour is abluiili green, 
and they are fliarp at the points. 
The ftalk is tall and naked. It rifes from the 
centre of a clufter of leaves, and is three or four 
foot high. It is round, fmooth, thick, and full 
of pith. 
The flowers ftand in a large tuft at the topj 
and thefe are moderately large, and very beauti- 
ful. They confift each of fix iliurr, obtufe, and 
roundifli petals, and are of a delicate pale red 
colour. They have two fets of threads in the 
centre, fix which ftand outward, and three with- 
in them ; and on thefe are button^;, tbrmed each 
of t^yo lamellte or plates. In the centre of thefe 
are fix rudiments, which, afcer the flower is fallen 
become the fruit. 
Thefe capfuies are oblong, ered, and open in- 
wards. They are each compofed of a fingle piece, 
whereas thofe of the others ufually are of two. 
The feeds are oblong and obtufe. 
It is not uncommon with us in waters; 
flowering in June. 
J. Bauhine calls it Juncus fioridus. C. Bau- 
hine, Juncus fioridus major. 
We have no account of its virtues. 
G E N U S V. 
STARRY WATER PLANTAIN. 
DAMASOniUM. 
npHE flowers confift of three petals. The feeds are contained in capfules, feveral of which fuc- 
ceed every flower. 
Linnaeus places this among the hexmdria pGlygynia, making it a fpecies of ipater plantain under 
the name alifma. This was an early error, and we are to call the mmz water plantain a very impro- 
per one, though the addition oi'fiarry makes a plain diftin£tion. 
We have been ufed to wonder that the common Englifli writers named this as a fpecies of that genus ; 
but our furprife muft be greater when we ke this writer fall into the fame confufion. Its feed-vefl'els 
plainly diftinguifli it from the wa/er properly fo called, and refer it to this clafs, to which 
they do not belong. 
There is but one known fpecies of this genus, and that is a native of Britain. 
Starry Water Plantain. 
Datnafonium, 
The root confifts of numerous long and flender 
fibres. 
The leaves are numerous. They ftand on 
footftalks of three or four inches in length, and 
are oblong, broad, and often fplit at the ends. 
The ftalks rife in the centre of the tuft, and 
are eight or ten inches in length, irregular in their 
growth, much branched, and not very upright. 
They are round, thick, and flefiiy. 
The flowers ftand in clufters at their tops, and 
in other parts : they have each a long flender per 
dicle, and !are fmall and white. 
4 
The feeds follow enclofed in capfules fix after 
every flower. Thefe are difpofed in a radiated 
manner, fo as to refemble the figure of a ftar i 
and thence the plant had its name Jiarry ; as it 
had that oi •water plantain from fome refcmblance 
ot the leaves to thole of that plant. 
It is common in ftiallow muddy waters and 
ab »ut ditch fides. The leaves fomctimes float 
upon the water, at other times they ftand dry. 
It flowers in July, and the feed-veflels foon 
follow. ^ 
J. Bauhine calls it Damajonium fiellatum dale/- 
campii. C. Bauhine and moft others, Plantago 
aquatica fiellata. 
We have no account of its virtues. 
GENUS 
