The BRITISH HERBAL. 
GENUS V. 
LOOSE STRIFE. 
LTSIMACHIA. 
*TpHE flower confifts of a fmgle petal, which is divided into five fegments at the edge : the feeds 
are contained in a fingle capfule, which is round and large : the plant is ereft and ta!!. 
Linnseus places this among the pentandria niomgynia; there being five threads in the centre of the 
fjower, and the rudiment of the capfule being finglc. 
It Is a genus extremely diftimft, and plainly charaderifed. We have been accuftomed to call this, 
and fcveral other very diiterent genera, by the common name of willow herb, the leaves of fomc of 
them refembling thofe of the willow. Thofe of this genus are much lefs like them than the leaves of 
fome of the others ; wherefore we have changed that name for another loofe ftrife^ by which it is alfo 
comrronly known -y retaining that of willow herb, for the other genus, which has more right to that 
appellation. 
DIVISION 1. BRITISH SPECIES. 
1. Common yellow Loofe Strife. 
Lyfimachiii lutea vulgaris. 
The roots are numerous, long, flender, and 
creeping. 
The firft leaves are large, oblong, broad, even 
at the edges, and pointed at the ends : they are of 
a beautiful green ; they rife in a thick tuft, and 
have no footftalks. 
The ftalk is firm, upright, hard, and four feet 
high, and toward the top it fends out many 
branch'-'S. 
The leaves grov/ two, three, or more, at a 
joint without footftalks : they are large, broadeft 
at the middle, and jointed at the end, and of a 
beautiful green. 
The flowers are very numerous, confiderably 
large, and of a beautiful gold yellow : they feem 
compofed of five petals, and have pointed but- 
tons on the threads. 
The feed-vcfi'el is round and large. 
This is fo beautiful a plant in its eredl ftature, 
regular growth, and elegant flowers, that it is 
very worthy to be taken into our gardens. It is 
wild by water-fides not unfrequently, and flowers 
from May to Augufl. 
C. Bauhine calls it Lyfimachia lutea major. 
Othersj Lyfimachia lutea vulgaris. 
2. Globofe Loofe Strife, 
Lyfimachia fore glohofo. 
The root is long, flender, jointed, and fur- 
nilhed with abundance of fibres. 
The firft leaves rife only two or three together 
from different parts of the root : they are long, 
narrow, and of a deep green ; and they have no 
footftalks : they are undivided at the edges, and 
fharp at the point. 
The ftalk is firm, upright, not branched, and 
a foot and a half high. 
The leaves ftand in pairs : they are long, fomc- 
what broad, undivided at the edges, and have no 
footftalks : they are fmalleft toward the bottom 
and top of the plant, and largeft in the middle. 
The flowers ftand in roundifli heads : thefe arc 
fupported by long, flender footftalks, and rife 
from the bofoms of the leaves, principally about 
the middle of the plant ; they are fmail, and 
yellow. 
The feed-veflel is fingle, roundifii, and fmall. 
It is found in wet places, but not common. 
C. Bauhine calls it Lyfimachia hifcUa flcre lutet 
glohofo. Others, Lyfimachia lutea glohofa. 
3. Hairy fliort-lcaved Loofe Strife. 
Lyfimachia foliis brevihus hirftitis. 
The root is long, flender, creeping, and full ojT 
fibres. 
The ftalks are numerous, and three feet high ; 
they are firm, upright, not much branched, and 
of a pale yellowifli colour. 
The leaves ftand in an irregular manner as in 
the common kind, two, three, or four at a joint : 
they are fliort, blunt, of a pale green, and hairy. 
The flowers are large, and of a beautiful yel- 
low : they ftand in clufters at the tops of the 
branches. 
The feed-vefi'els are large and round. 
It is not uncommon in damp paftures, and 
flowers in June. 
Ray calls it Lyfimachia lutea foliis brevioribus 
ehlufis fioribus in fummitate congeftis. 
FOREIGN SPECIES. 
DIVISION n. 
I. Red-flowered Loofe Strife. 
Lfmachia pre ruhente. 
The root is compofed of many thick, long, 
and whitifti fibres. 
The firft leaves are long, narrow, and of ^ a 
bright green, and have no footftalks : they rife 
3 
in large tufts, but fade and difappear when the 
ftalks come up. 
The ftalks are numerous, round, firm, ered, 
and two feet and a half high. 
The leaves are long and narrow : they ftand 
in pairs, and have no footftalks. 
The flowers ftand in long fpikes at the tops of 
the 
