The BRITISH HERBAL. 
19 
TWz fr.ilks are round, weak, jointtd, and ten 
inchf-B or a foot long. 
T\v- leaves grow irregularly on them, and re- 
Icmblt; tliofe irom the root. 
The flowers are fmall, and yellow, wich a tuft 
of p^ile threads. 
The ftrc'da Rand in a little naked head ; and are 
large and prickly. 
It is a native of the warm parts of Europe, 
and the eafb; and loves damp ground. 
j. Bauhine calls it Ranmiculiis paluftris echinatus. 
Others Rcnunciihs cchinatiis crelkus. 
4. Broad nervous- leaved Crowfoot. 
RanurMus lata et nervofo folio. 
The root is conipofcd of a clufler of very 
thick fibres. 
The firft leaves are five inches long, two broad, 
perfediy entire, and blunt at the end, with the 
ribs running lengthwifci lb that in all refpcdls 
they refcmbic thofe of plantain. 
The flalk is fingle, round, firm, and a foot 
high. 
The leaves (Irand alternately upon it, and fur- 
round it at the bafe. They relemble tlioie from 
ihc root in all refpctSts, but that they are fmaller. 
Toward the top the llalk divides into two or 
three brandies, and on the fummitof each is a 
fiower. 'Jliis is very large, of a fnow white, and 
has a tLvft of yellow threads in the centre. 
The feeds are fmall, and ftand naked in a little 
clufter. 
It is a native of the Pyi-enxan mountains i and 
flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Ranunculus montanus folih 
■plantagms'ii. C. Bauhine, Ranunculus Pyrev£us 
foliis fublongis n(,n lacinatis Jiore albo. 
5. Broad-leaved Crowfoot. 
RanWKuhis hitifolius rndmbus crajfis. 
The root is compofed of a great many long, 
thick pieces, which form a large tuft. 
The leaves that rife from it ftand on thick, 
fieOiy footftalks, three Inches long, and are broad, 
divided deeply into five or more parts, and fer- 
ratcd round the edges. 
The flian-: is thick, round, flefhy, and a foot 
or more in height. 
The leaves ftand irregularly on it, and are di- 
vided into many narrovv, indented fegments. 
The fiowers are large, and yellow ; and they 
have a tuft of yellow threads^n the centre. 
The feed foHov.'S in a fmail head, and is large 
snd naked. 
It i-^ a nr,tive of the ead, and fiourlfiies pavti- 
ciilarly inCiete. It flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Ranunculus afphodeli rndice 
CreticHS. Clufius, Ranunculus Creiicus latif alius. 
This ranunculus whofe root approaches to ;the 
tuberous kind, naturally leads us to that which 
lias a regularly tuberous root, and which makes 
fuch a fine appearance in our gardens. 
6. Scarlet Crowfoot. 
Ranunculus fcliis divijis flore ruhcntc^ radicetuherofa. 
This \i a beautiful flower in its plain, natural 
appearance; and when cultivated,' it fiiews an 
amazing variety, the flower becoming double, 
and having all the degrees of colour from the 
deepelt to the paiefl: red, and to white and yellow* 
The root is regularly tuberous. It is compofed 
of feveral oblong or oval, thick pieces, intermixed 
with fibres ; or Ibmetimes wholly without them. 
The leaves that rife from it are fupported on 
long footfl.alks i and are, fome of them more, fome 
of them Icfs, divided. The firft that appear are 
commonly obiong, and only indented deeply at 
the edge. The fucceeding ones are divided mora, 
or lefs deeply into three parts ; and thofe feg- 
ments are notched and pointed. 
The fl:alk is round, firm, and a foot high ; 
fometimes it rifcs fingle and continues the whole 
way fo : at other times it is branched. 
The leaves that ftand on it are formed of three 
parts, two difpofed in the manner of wings, and 
one placed at the end; and each of thefe parts is 
again divided into three fegments and notched 
round the edges. 
At the top of the ftalk fl:ands a fingle flower, 
compofed of five leaves, rounded, and very large 
and beautiful. The ufual colour of this is a 
bright fcarlet ; but fometimes it is yellow or 
white. We owe to the art of gardening tbc 
other numerous variations. 
It is a native of Afia, where it covers whole 
fields wild» and flowers in fpring. 
C. Bauhine calls it Ra7mnculus radice grufnofa 
ramofus. Others, Rmunculus Afiaticus radice 
grmnofa. 
Moft of the botanical writers have divided this 
according to the colour of the flower, and other 
accidents, into feveral kinds but they are acci- 
dental varieties, the plant in every one of thefe 
appearances being the fame. 
The crowfoots in general are acrid and cauftick. 
Some of them are lefs fo than others j and there 
are fome that experience has Ihewn to be poifon- 
ous. The greater and lefler fpearwort are of this 
laft kind, as alfo the round-leaved fmall flowered 
kind ; as to the others, they have been bani^ed 
from any ufc on the aecount of thefe : but we fhali 
fee in this an infliance how raftiJy we condemn 
fome plants, as well as negligently overlook 
others. 
The acrid quality of the crowfoots in general rc- 
fides in their juice. Some, as has been obferved, 
have little of it ; and thefe may be taken inter- 
nally as frefli gathered ; and many of the others 
becoming mild when dried. A tinduremay alfo 
be made from fome of the common fpecies that 
has no bad qualities, 
In the firlb ftate, the roots and leaves of the 
round rooted kind may be ufed outwardly with 
fuccefs on many occafions. 
Their juice takes away warts. 
The roots and leaves bruifed together, and ap- 
plied to fwellings, will aft as a cauftick, and mak? 
way for the inftruments of furgery. 
In violent headachs, when the pain is confined 
to one fpot, they have the grcateft efl^eiSt imagi- 
nable. A plaifteris to be laid on, with a hole in 
the middle. A fmall quantity of the herb and 
root bruifed, and wet with the juice, is to be laid 
on the bare place i and this is to be covered with 
a larger plaifter. In this manner of application 
a few leaves will do the bufinefs. Care mufl be 
taken 
