76 
The BRITISH H K R B A L. 
and divided into five fegments ■, thefe, toward 
evening, ciolc, and the flower has the look of a 
little arrow head of a pentagonal form : from 
this fhape and its colour fome have called this the 
pentagonal viokt. 
The feed-veffei is long, and has fliarp edges : 
the feeds are numerous and fmall. 
Ic is common in the corn-fields of the north of 
Ireland, but not in England. It flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Onobryckis arvenfis five cam- 
panicla arvenfis ere£ia, J. Bauhine, Avicularia 
fylvii. 
2. Little Venus' Looking-glafs. 
Speculum Veneris minus. 
The root is fmall, long, white, woody, and 
furnifhed with numerous fibres. 
The ftalk is hollow, tender, ftriated, and com- 
monly three or four inches only in height, but in 
places where ic is well nourifhed it will rife to a 
foot ; fo that, although calii-d the leffer fpecies, 
it is in this cafe taller than the other, but it is 
fcarce at all branched. 
The leaves arc little, and have no footftalks : 
they are fhort and broad, obtufe at the ends, and 
waved, or, as it were, curled at the edges. 
The flowers fbnd at the top of the ftalk, and 
on Ihort footftalks rifing from the bofoms of the 
leaves, one flower on each. 
They are fmall, of a bright purple colour, 
and ftand upon the rudiment of the pod or feed- 
veflel. 
When tlicy are fallen this fwells and lengthens, 
and becomes a long capfule, refembling a pod, 
ridged, and ftiarp at the edges, and contains a 
great deal of minute feeds. 
Ray calls it CaDipanula arvenjis ereSla vel fpecu- 
hm Veneris minus. 
It is not uncommon in our corn-fields in Suf 
fex and fome other counties ; and flowers in 
' June. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES. 
I. Great flowered Venus' Tooking-glafs, 
Speculum Veneris magna fiore. 
The root is fmall, white, long, and woody. 
The ftalks are numerous, weak, branched, and 
five or fix inches high. 
The leaves are numerous, oblong, and with- 
out footftalks : thofe toward the lower part of the 
flalk are longer and more obtufe ; thofe toward 
the upper part, fmaller and fharper at the point. 
The flowers are very large, and of a beautiful 
pale purple, with a white eye in the centre, 
and fome blue about it : they are divided into 
five fegments, and are hollow. 
The feed-vclTel is long and angulated, and the 
feeds are large, fiiining and brown. 
It is a native of Thrace, and flowers in June. 
Ray calls it Speculum Veneris flors ampHJfmo 
I'hraciacm. 
2. Perfoliate Venus' Looking glafs. 
Speculum Veneris perfoliatum. 
The root is long, flender, fibrous, and white. 
The ftalks are numerous, and tolerably ereft : 
they are round, thick, of a whitifh colour, and 
a little hoary. 
The leaves are broad and fhort : they ftand 
irregularly, and furround the ftalk at the bale ; 
fo that it feems to grow through them. 
The flowers are large, and of a pale but 
beautiful red: they are deeply divided into five 
fegments, and they ftand on the tops of the ftalks, 
and on fhort pedicles rifing from the bofoms of 
the leaves. 
The fecd-vefiel is long, and angulated \ and 
the feed moderately large, and of a glolTy furface. 
It is a native of Virginia, and flowers in June, 
Morifon calls it Campanula penlagonia perfoliata. 
The Venus looking-glafs agrees with the bcll- 
flowcrs and rampion? in its qualities. 
The larger kind, which is very common in the 
corn fields of France, is one of their favourite 
fallad herbs. Tiiey gather the firft leaves and 
eat them in the fpring. The common fallading, 
known among them by the name of q^ueue de 
revefque, is the firft fhoot of this plant: befide 
its agreeable tafte, it is fuppofed to be a good 
antifcorbutick. 
GENUS XIV. 
L I N N ^ J. 
n~'HE flower confifts of a fingle petal, hollow, open, divided into five fegments at the edge, and 
refembling the campanula : the fruit is of an oval form, divided into two cells, and covered 
with its pccL.liar cup : it is in a manner of the berry kind, but not juicy. 
The cup is double \ there is one for the fruit juft named, and another for the flower : the cup of 
t'le fruit is compofed of four leaves, two of which are fmaller, two larger : the cup of the fiov/er con- 
fifts of a fingle leaf, divided into five fegments. 
Gronovius eftabliftied this genus, and named it in honour of Linnaeus ; but though the name and 
character be new, the reft is familiarly known- There is but one fpecies of it ; and that is the plant 
defL;i ibed by Bauhine, Gerard, Parkinfon, and the reft, under the name of thyme-leaved belljlower. 
l.lnnsus places the genus among his diynamia angio[per7nia\ there being four threads in the flower, 
two of which are taller than the others, and the feeds being covered : there is one only in each 
fruii. 
I Linnaa. 
