24 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES. 
TrifoHata Meadowfweet. 
Ulmaria trifoliala. 
The root is a great tuft of fibres rifing from 
a fmall head. 
The firfl: leaves Hand on long, redilK foot- 
ftalks, and are large, of a pale green colour, 
and firm ftrudlure. They in feme degree re- 
femble thofe leaves of the common meadowfweet 
that grow on the upper part of the ftalk. I'hey 
are compofed of three parts or three feparate_leaves. 
which may be called one pair of pinnae, and an 
end leaf. 
The ftalk is firm, upright, and five foot high. 
Its leaves refcmblc thoIc from the root, but they 
are fmalkr. 
The flowers are large, and white. 
The feeds are twifted. 
It is a native of North America. 
Morifon calls it Ulmaria Vkginiana trifoUata 
fioribus candidis ampUs longis et aciitis. Others, 
Ulmaria m^ijor trifoliata Virgi?iiana, 
GENUS XVIL 
DROPWORT. 
FILIPENDULA. 
THE flower is compofed of five petals, and ftands in a cup divided into five parts. The feeds 
following each flower are twelve in number, and are ere£t. Linnseus, we have jufl: fhewn, joins 
this and meadowfeet with the fpirffia among his icofandria ■polygynia. 
There is but one known fpecies of dropwort, and that is a native of Britain. 
Dropwort. 
Filipendula vulgaris. 
The root confifts of a vaft: tuft of fibres, to 
which there are conne6led in many places large 
flelhy lumps : thefe are of a dufky colour on the 
outfide, and white within. 
From the head of this clufter rife ten or a dozen 
leavesof a very beautiful and regular form. They 
have very fhort footftalks. and are rcguUrly pin- 
nated, each having fix, feven, or more pairs of 
pinns, with an odd leaf ac die end, all uniform, 
oblong, and regularly dented round the edges. 
The fl:alk rifes in the midft of chefe, and is 
Upright, round, firm, and two or three foot high. 
The leaves ftand irregularly on it, and are Hke 
thofe at the bottom. 
The flowers are white, and have a large tuft 
of yellowifli threads in the middle. 
The feeds ftand in a little, naked head. 
It is not uncommon in dry paftures, and flow- 
ers in autumn. 
C, Bauhine calls it FilipenduU vulgaris. J. Bau- 
hine, Filipendula. y^c, Dropwort. All, names 
taken from the tuberous parts of the root, which . 
refemble fo many great drops, and hang by 
threads. 
The root of dropvjort is attenuant in the vif- 
cera; but has a flight aftringency in the bowels. 
It works by urine, and brings away gravel. For 
this ufe it is beft taken in decodlion. 
It is good in epilcpfics diid other nervous com- 
plaints. To this purpofe a tindlure made of it 
in wine is the beft form of giving it ; and ic 
fliould be made with three ounces of the dried 
root to a quart of the liquor. 
It has alfo been found ferviceablc againft the 
fluor aibus ; and for this is beft given in powder. 
In this form fifteen grains is a proper dufe. 
In repeated dofes in this laft form it is faid to 
have cured dyfenteries. It is one of thofe reme- 
dies of which our tore-fathers were very fond ; 
and which we have very unreafonably neglefted 
C. Bauhine and others have defcribed whac 
they call a lefltr fpecies dropwort but accord- 
ing to their own accounts, this differs in little but 
fize, and is evidently a variety. 
GENUS XVIII. 
MALLOW. 
JH J L V A. 
fr^HE flower is compofed of five petals, which join together at the bafe ; and ftands in a double 
cup: the outer of thefe compofed of three leaves ; the inner one, of a fingle leaf divided into 
five pares, and both remain with the feeds. Thefe are gathered into a round, flat head, and have 
the outer covering loofe. 
Thus far the charader of the genus comprehends with the feveral kinds of mallow, thofe of 
marjh mallow and vervain mallow. To diftinguifh the mallow from thcie, we are to add, the leaves 
arc entire, of a roundilh figure, and green. 
The reafon of this addition to the charafter of the genus is, that the althxa, and alaea, marjh, and 
vetvaia malloza have the fame flowers and feeds ; but the leaves in the marfi mallow kinds are oblong, 
and white : and in tlie vervain mallow they are deeply divided. They are very nearly allied, and are 
included among the monadelphia pclyandria by Linn^us. 
DIVISION 
