The BRITISH HERBAL. 
65 
the ftalks and their branches : they are large, and 
placed diftinft ; they confift each of a fingle petal, 
divided into five fegments in the manner of the 
eommon yellow kind, and are of a beautiful red. 
The feed-veffel is imali and round. 
It is a native of Italy, and flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Epheiienim Mathioli. 
2. Spotted yellow Loofe Strife; 
Lyftmachiajlava pedunadis unifloris. 
The root is long, (lender, jointed, and creep- 
ing. 
The flalk is round, firm, upright, fmooth, 
and two feet high. 
The leaves are long and narrow •, their broadefl 
part is in the niiddle : they are Hiarp pointed, 
and undivided at the edges, and have no fooc- 
ftalks. They ftand irregularly ; on foitie parts bf 
the flalk fingly, and on others four at a joint. 
Their colour is a deep green, and they are com- 
monly fpotced on the back. 
The flowers are large, beautiful, and yellow : 
they (land on Ihurt foocfbalks rifing frorh the bo- 
foms of the leaves, one flower on each. 
The feed-velTcl is roundifh, but fomewhat ob- 
long. 
It is frequent in Flanders, and in fome parts of 
Italy. It flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Lyftmachia lutea minor foliis 
nigris pim^iis notatis. Clufius. hyfimachia lutea fc- 
cnnda. 
Loofc ftrife has the credit of being an excellent 
vulnerary j but it is not regarded in tlie prefenc 
practice. 
G £ NT u s vL 
MONEYWORT. 
N U M M U L J R I A 
TtlE flower cdnfifts of a fingle petal, and is divided into five fegments : the feed-vefiel is lafge 
and round, and the ftalks are weak and trailing. 
LinnEEUS places this among his pentaniria monogymn, the threads in each flower being five in num- 
ber, and the rudiment of the capfule fingle. But he does not allow this a diftini^ genus ; he makes 
it the fame with lyfimachia, and calls its fpecies by that name. 
We are averfe to aboliOring received and eltablifhed names, becaufe we would render the ftudy 
of botany familiar, not load it with difficulties : therefore we have feparated thefe plants, retained 
the name immmukria, and eflrablilficd it as a genus. It is true, that the flowers of this plant, and thofe 
of lyfimachia are of a like ftrudure ; but all the fpecies of lyfimachia are erefl: and tall, and all thofe 
of nummitlaria weak, low, and trailing.. ' This is an obvious, and, for all ul'eful purpofes, a fuffi- 
cient diftinftion. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
I. Yellow Moneywort. 
Nummulariii fore flmo. 
The root is long, flender, and furnillied with 
many fibres. 
The ftalks are num.erous, flender, round, 
weak, and trailing: they naturally lie upon the. 
ground, and fpread every way; and they are 
fimple, and not branched. 
The leaves are very beautiful in flrape and dif- 
pofition : they ftand two at a joint, and grow 
flatwife, and the diftances between them are 
fmall ; fo that as the plant lies fpread on the 
ground, they make a very beautiful appearance : 
they are nearly round in fiiape, and of a fine 
frefli green colour. The plant had its name from 
their refcmbling pieces of money. 
The Bowers are large, and of a fine gold yel- 
low : they ftand on fingle footflalks rifing from 
the bofoms of the leaves almoft the whole length 
of the plant. 
The feed-veffels are round and large. 
It is common in meadows, and flowers in 
June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Nummularia major lutea. 
Others, Nummularia vulgaris. We, Moneywort, 
and Pemyuiort, or Herb twopence. 
N° VII. 
2. Purple Moneywort. 
Nimmi'.laria f.ore furpurafcente. 
This is a fmall, but very pretty plant. 
The root is long, and furniflied with liume- 
rous tough fibres. 
The ftalks are numerous, flender, weak, 
crooked, and fpreading : they lie upon the fur- 
face, or rife very little, and very irregularly 
from it. 
The leaves are fmall, roundifh, but a little 
pointed, of a frefli green, and placed in pairs on 
(hort footftalks. 
The flowers are moderately large, and of a 
beautiful red : they ftand fingly on long and 
very flender footftalks rifing from the bofoms of 
the leaves, and are divided into five fegments, fo 
deeply that they feem compofed of fo many 
petals. 
The feed-veifel is fmall and oval ; the feeds 
are numerous, and very fmall. 
It is not uncommon in boggy places, and 
flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Nummularia minor fore fur- 
purafcente. J. Bauhine, Nummularia rubra. 
S 3. Money- 
