36 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
GENUS VI. 
ORPINE. 
r E L E P li I U M. 
'pHEflowersconfiftcachof five petals,' and ftand in akindof umbel. The leaves are flefliy and Hat. 
Linnsiis placts this among his decandria pentagynia, making it a fpecies of fedum or houfe- 
]cck. The flowers and feed-vefTL-ls indeed are very like but orpine in its general form and figure, is 
fufFiciently diftina ; and having been called by a feparate name, and endowed with particular virtues, 
we prefcrve the dillinftion. 
There is the more ufe in this becaufe the fpecies of houfeleek are in themfelves very numerous ; fo 
that the leiTening the number is rendering the knowledge of them lefs perplexed and more familiar. 
DIVISION I. 
I. Common Orpine. 
Telephium vulgare. 
BRITISH SPECIES. 
and fubaflringent. The root contains the prin- 
cipal virtue, and it is excellent in dyfenteries. 
The root is compofed of a great number of 
tuberous pieces irregularly joined together, and 
having many fibres between them. 
The firfl: leaves are fmall and inconfiderable; 
they are oblong, blunt at the ends, and have 
no foocftalks. They prefently grow yellow and 
dfecay. 
The ftalks are numerous, round, thick, flefhy, 
upright, and two foot high. 
The leaves ftand thick upon the flalks, two, or 
three fometimes rifmg from the fame fpot : they 
are broad, oblong, fiat, blunt at the ends, and 
nightly ferrated at the edges. Their colour is a 
frefh and beautiful green, 
The flowers ftand in clufters at the tops of the 
ftalks : they are fmall, but of a delicate red. 
E*ch is compofed of five fmall, radiated, pointed 
leaves, with ten threads, and the rudiments of the 
feed vefTels in the centre. 
The flower being fallen thefe rudiments ripen 
into capfules five after every flower, in which are 
contained very fmall and numerous feeds. 
It is common in our paftures, and flowers in 
The whole plant is iucculent and flefhy, and 
will preferve its form and colour a long time 
when cut from the root, efpecially if refreflied 
with water. 
C. Bauhine calls it Tekphium vulgar e. J. Bau- 
hine, Anacampferos viilgo faha crajja. 
We fometimes fee it with a white flower. In 
this condition it has been defcribed by fome as a dif- 
tin£t fpecies. There are alfo fome other varieties 
in the breadth and difpofition of the leaves, from 
which there have been made many imaginary fpe- 
cies, fuch as the broad-leaved orpine^ and the like ; 
buc thefe, when more nicely examined, will be 
found not to differ in any thing efTential from this 
common kind. 
Orpine is famous as a vulnerary. It is ftyptick 
and in diarrhjeas that erode the inteftines. It is 
alfo ufed externally in burns. The beft way of 
giving the root is carefully dried and reduced to 
powder ; five and twenty grains for a dofe. 
2. Roofe-root. 
Telephium rojeiim. 
The root is large, thick, and of an irregulat 
form, oblong, and tuberous, and full of fibres : 
it is brown on the outfide and white within, and 
is brittle, and of a very pleafant fmell. There is 
plainly the fcent of the damafk rofe in it, but ic 
is very flight \ and the fame flavour is perceived 
in tafting it. 
The firfV leaves are oblong, narrow, and with- 
out footftatks : they quickly fade. 
The ftalks are numerous, and rife in little 
clufters from different parts of the roots. They 
are flendc-r, round, and about a foot high. 
The leaves are very numerous, and they ftand 
irregularly on the ftalks : they have no footftalks. 
They are oblong, narrow, fharp-pointed, and 
fliarply ferrated at the edges. They are of a 
yellowifh green, and ufually have a purplifh tinge 
at the point. 
The flowers fVand in clufters at the tops of the 
ftalks. They are fmall, and of a pale red. 
The feeds follow in feparate capftiles, which 
are longifli and bent like horns. 
It is frequent on the mountains in Wales and 
in Yorkfhire. Ic flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Rhodia i-adix; and Morifon 
telephhm rofeum. 
The root is recommended by fome againft the 
gravel. It is aperient by urine, but in fome de- 
gree aftringent in the bowels and pofTelTes in 
common with orpine, the virtue of blunting the 
acrimony of fharp humours that erode the intef- 
tines. Againft diarrhseas and dyfenteries it fhould 
be given in powder; and as a diuretick, in de- 
coition. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES, 
I. Oval-leaved Orpine. 
Telepbium folUs ovatis. 
The root is white, long, irregular in fhape, and 
cr'-eps under the furface, with numerous fibres, 
The firft leaves have fhort pedicles, and are 
oblong, narrow, obtufe and ferrated, and of a 
pale green. Thefe fade quickly, fo that there is 
no remain of them about the ftalk. 
0 The 
