The BRITISH HERBAL. 
63- 
no footftalks: they are like thofe from the root, 
but fiiorter, of a freflier green, and more pointed : 
they are undivided at the edges, and tend up- 
wards. 
Toward the top the ftalk. divides into feveral 
branches, commonly, but not conftantly, by two 
and two : thele have fmaller and narrower leaves 
on them, and at their tops tufts of flowers i and 
all joining, there, is formed by the whole, a very 
large clulter. 
The flowers are fmall, but of a blight and 
beautiful red: they are fl-nderj hollow, and fpread 
toward the rim, where th.ey arc divided into live 
fegments. 
Tiie feed- vciTei is fimple, fmall andJong, and 
the feeds are numerous and very minute. 
It is common in dry paftures, and flowers in 
July- 
C. Baiihine calls it Ccntmrium minus. J. Bau- 
hine, Centctirmm miaiis flcre purpurea et alho ; 
the flowers being fometimes white ; but this is an 
Uncommon variety. 
It is an excellent fl;omachick : its tafle is bit- 
ter, but notunplealant, and it promoces an appe- 
tite, ftrengthens the flomach, and aflifls digeftion. 
It may be called the Engliflj gmt'tan. 
It is excellent in obftruiStions of the vifcera, 
in the jaundice, and againll; worms. The beft 
■way of giving it is in infufion, to which may be 
added lemon-peel and cardamoms. 
1, Little yellow Mar fli- centaury. 
Cmtaurium pahiftre hiteiim ^mnimum. ■ 
The root is long, flcnder, and divided into 
many parts. 
The hrft leaves are fliort, and obtufc at the 
end : they have no footflalks, and they quickly 
grow yellow and lade. 
The ftalks are numerous, flender, and very 
much branched : they are four or five inches 
high, and full of leaves : thefe (land in pairs, 
and are fmall, obtufe, and undivided at the 
edges. 
The flowers ft:and at the toj^s of the ftalks and 
branches, and are iitcle, and of a duflcy yellow. 
The fced-vefl'els are long, flender, and full of 
very fmall feeds. 
It is found on boggy grounds in fome parts of 
England, but is not common. It flowers in 
June. 
Ray calls it Centaurium pahtjlre hiteum minimum 
fiofiras. It has the fame bitter taftc with the 
other. 
3. Perfoliate yellow Centaury. 
Ccntaurium lutenni perfoUatim. 
The root is fmall, oblong, and divided into 
feveral parts. 
The ftalk is round, flender, upright, and a 
foot and half high j it is fcarce at all branched, 
and of a pale yellowifli green. 
The leaves are very Angular j they feem to be 
compofcd each of a pair of broad and fliort 
ones, perfectly jointed at their bafes ; fo that 
they form one obltjng, hollow leaf, of the fhape 
of a boat, through the centre of which the main 
ftalk pafles. No plant is fo perfeftly perfoliate. 
Thefe Angular leaves are tender, of a deep greeri, 
and fmall, obtufe at the points, and not at all 
indented at the edges : they are fmaller toward 
the lower part of the ftalk, largeft fomewhat 
above the middle, and thence fmaller again to- 
ward the top. 
The flowers ftand in a loofe ckiflcr at the top 
of the ftalk, each on a flender pedicle : they are 
of a beautiful yellow ; they have a tubular bot- 
tom, and are divided at the rim into eight feg- 
ments, fo deeply that at firft fight they feem to 
confift of fo many petals. 
The feed-vefTel is oblong and flender, and the 
feed fmall. 
It grows in dry, barren, chalky places, but 
not very common. It varies extreamly in fize ; 
whence fome have divided it into a larger and 
fmaller fpecies. It flowers in Juiv. 
C. Bauhine calls it Centaurium lutcmn perfoli- 
at urn. 
DIVISION 11. FOREIGN SPECIES.' 
Akernate-lcaved Centaury. 
Centaurium foUis altcrnis. 
This diflcrs from all the ochers in an obvious 
and ftriking particular : their leaves grow in 
pairs ; thole of this fpecies fingly. 
Its root is long, thick, yellowifli, divided into 
feveral parts, and furniflied with many fibres. 
The leaves that rife from it are oblong, broad, 
even at the edges, fharp at the points, and have 
no footftalks : they rife in a little tuft, and are 
of a pale green ; and they foon grow pale, and 
wither when the ftalks rife. 
The ftalks are numerous, round, upright, 
very much branched, and of a pale ycllowifh co- 
lour : they divide generally in a forked manner, 
or, as botanifts call it, dichotomoufly, bgt not 
univerfally. 
The leaves ftand alternately, and are of a pale 
green : they are not very numerous, and they 
vary greatly in lhape. Thofe toward the bot- 
tom of the ftalk are like fuch as rife from the rooti 
thofe higher up are longer and narrower \ and 
there are tufts alfo of very fmall and narrow ones 
in their bofoms, and toward the tops of the 
branches. 
The flowers are fmall, and white : they do not 
ftand in clufters at the tops of the ftalks, as in the 
other fpecies, but all the v\'ay up in a kind of ir- 
regular fpikes. 
Its feed-velfels are fmall and cylindrical, and 
the feeds very fmall and numerous. 
It is a native of France and Italy, and flowers 
in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Centaurium minus fpicatmn 
album. Ochers, Centaurium minus album. 
GENUS 
