The BRITISH HERBAL. 
6i 
2. Woolly-flowered Gentian. 
Gentiana Jfore lamiginofo. 
The root is fmal!, woody, and divided into 
feveral parts : it is of a browniOi colour, and 
bitter tafte : there are long fibres produced from 
it about the head, which creep under the fur- 
face, and fpread every way. 
Theftalk is (lender, round, ftriated, ered, and 
five or fix inches high, fometimes more,fometimes 
much lefe ; for the plant varies greatly in fize. 
The leaves are long and narrow, but not alto- 
gether fo narrow as thofeof the preceding. They 
are of a frefh green, and ftand in pairs without 
footftalks. 
The flowers are large, and of a deep blue. 
They are divided into four fcgments at the edge, 
andthereis adownynefs of a purplifh colour within. 
The feed-veffel is long, flender, and pointed ; 
and the feeds are very fmali. 
It is found in barren, chalky foils, but not 
common. It flowers in September. 
C. Bauhine calls it Ge?itiana patenfis flore la- 
mginofa. With us it does not grow in mea- 
dows, as that name feems to exprefs. When 
this plant grows larger from a good foil, the 
leaves acquire more breadth, and in this form it 
is defcribed by fome authors as a different fpe- 
cies, under the name of GentiancUa fiigax autum- 
nalis elalior centauni mimris folih ; but this is 
merely a variety from more nouriilimcnt. 
3. Little Spring Gentian. 
GentiancUa fumila fr^cox. 
The root is fmall, long, brown, and divided, 
and has a bitter tafte. 
DIVISION II. F < 
I. Great-flowered Gentian. 
Gentiana latifolia magnb fiore. 
The root is fmall, yellowifh, divided into many 
parts, and furnifhed with fibres ; it is of a bitter 
tafte, and firm texture. 
The leaves are broad and fhort : a tuft of 
them rife without footftalks from the root early 
in fpring, and foon after, the ftalks appear. 
Thefe are round, firm, brownifh, and five or 
fix inches high. 
They have numerous leaves ftanding in pairs, 
of the fame lhape, colour, and fubftance with 
thofe from the root : they are nervous, and of 
a brownifli green. 
The flower ftands at the tops of the ftalk, and 
. is very large, and of a beautiful fky blue ; it is 
tubular, and divided into five fegments at the 
edge, with white lines down their fides. 
The feed-vefl^il is long, and large, and fplits 
into two at the top. The feeds are fmall. 
It is frequent in Germany, and flowers in 
April. 
C. Bauhine calls it Gentiana alpina uernamajcr' 
Others call it //irp/'/cK. We, Great-ficwered ge}i- 
tian. 
The fl:alks are numerous, and of a brownifli 
colour, rigid, firm, upright, but little branched, 
and from three to eight or ten inches in height, 
according to the degree of nourifhment they 
find. 
The leaves ftand in pairs pretty near to one 
another : they are oblong, broad, pointed at the 
ends, of a dufliy green colour, and have no 
footftalksi 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the ftalks, 
fometimes fingly, fometimes two or three toge- 
ther: they are large, and blue, and are divided 
into five fegments at the edge. 
The feed-vefiel is thick, and oblong, and the 
feeds fmall and brown. 
It is common in hilly paftures, and flowers in 
April. 
This, like the former, varying in fize, has 
been divided, from that accident alone, into feve- 
ral imaginary fpecies. 
Columna calls it Gentianella purpurea minima, 
Ray, GentiancUa fugax verna five pnecox- 
Thefe three are the only fpecies of gentian 
we have native in Britain. They and the next 
to be defcribed are called by many gentianeUa^ 
from their fmallnefs in comparifon of the gentian 
ufed in medicine. 
They are all good ftomachicks, but inferior 
to that great kind. The country people make a 
very good bitter tinfture from any of thefe, and 
orange peel fteeped in white wine. 
REIGN SPECIES. 
2. Great Gentian. 
Getiana major lutea: 
The root is long and large, divided into feve- 
ral parts, and covered with a rough flcin. It 15 
brown on the outfide, yellow within, of a firm 
fubfl;ance, and very bitter tafte. 
The leaves that firft rile from it are large, 
oblong, broadeft in the middle, pointed at the 
ends, and without tootftalks : they are of a 
deep green colour, and firm fubftance ; and have 
five large ribs running lengthwife of them, and 
no others of any note. This is a particular 
mark, as it makes them refemb!e the leaves of 
plantain or white hellebore ; the generality of 
plants having only one long and large rib in the 
leaf, and the others running obliquely from it. 
The ftalk rifes in the midft of this tuft of 
leaves, and is round, thick, firm, upright, and 
three or four feet high. 
The leaves are numerous, and ftand in pairs 
in a line over one another 5 they are of the fame 
fiiape and fubftance with thofe at the root, and 
having no footftalks, they furround the ftalk 
at the bafe. 
The flowers are very numerous, and yellow. 
They ftand in great tufcs furrounding the ftalk, 
with a pair of leaves under every tuft ; they are 
R placed 
