THE BRITISH HERBAL. 
green : they are extremely branched ; and as 
tliey grow in length, the Hiort firft leaves drop 
off: they grow to eight or nine inches long ; 
but far the grt^ateft part of it lie upon the ground, 
few of them flanding up farther than the fpike of 
flowers. 
The It-aves fland irregularly on thefe ftalks, 
and are unlike the firft ; thefe are longifli, nar- 
row, and pointed. 
The flowers ll:and in long loofe fpikes, and are 
of a pale blue. 
The fced-vefTel is flat and large : the feeds are 
numerous, and fmall. 
It is common in dry paflures, and flowers in 
July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Polygala vulgaris. Others, 
Polygala 7)iinor. 
No plant varies more than this in its afpeft and 
manner of growth, according to the accidents of 
place and nourifliment. 
The flowers, though naturally blue, are often 
redilh, and often white ftriatcd more or lefs 
with blue or red, fometimes white altogether. In 
this condition, fome authors have defcribed it as 
a diflerent fpecies, or made one or two more, 
all fuppofed difi^erent. 
We have obferved that the firft leaves are fmall 
and iliort, and that thefe ufually fall ofFj but 
fometimes there grow no others, thefe being con- 
tinued upon the llaiks their whole length; in this 
cafe the llaiks generally lie altogether upon the 
ground, and the plant has been defcribed as a 
diftinft fpecies under the name o^'Pclygala uiyrti- 
folia palufiris humilis ramotior. 
Mr. Ray himfelf is not without thefe flips : 'tis 
commonly on damp, poor ground it affumes this 
form. 
In all thefe conditions the fpecies is the fame, 
and, under proper advantages of fun and nou- 
riDiment, would at any time put on its pro- 
per face again. Some few years fince, I faw a 
very remarkable infl:ance of this. There grows 
a great deal of milkivort on the edge of a fmall 
bog on Hampflead heath : this, while the bog 
was wet, to the top, was full of Ihort, broad i 
leaves, and fpread upon the ground in nume- ; 
rous branches : afterwards, fome flight trenches ; 
were cut through the bog, which drained it a 
DIVISION II. F O 
1. Crefl:ed Milkwort. 
Polygala crijlata. 
The root is long, flender, and fimple. 
The fl-alks are numerous, round, hard, and 
firm; part lie upon the ground, and part (land 
cre£t among them. 
The leaves grow often in pairs, but not cer- 
tainly or regularly fo : they are fmali, fhort, ob- 
tufe, moderately broad, of a dead green, and 
very rough to the touch. 
The flowers ftand in long crefled feries on tlie 
tops of the ftalks, fometimes in a fingle, fome- 
times a double feries ; and they are fmall, and 
purplilh or white. 
The feed-vefiel is minute, and very flat, the 
feeds are very fmall and yellow. 
Ic is a native of .Ethiopia, and flowers in June. 
little; and then the iniikii-ort grew more eredt, 
and had fewer branches, and long, narrow 
leaves. 
Thefe trenches are now filled up again in a 
great meafure by the fwelling of the boggy earth 
at their fides, as all trenches in fuch ground will, 
if not frequently cleaned ; and that part of the 
milkivort which grows lowefl: is fpreaciing on the 
ground, and getting into the myrtle-leaved ftate 
again. 
Experience here Ihews fl:rongly what we have 
occaflon often to afl"ert with equal truth, though 
lefs authenticated by evidence, that plants which 
appear very different, are only varieties of one 
and the fame fpecies. Few imagine what is in 
the power of accidents in the place of growth. 
2. Upright red Milkwort. 
Polygala purpurea ereBa. 
We have feen what changes tlie difference of 
foil make in the common milkwort ; but we here 
treat of a fpecies altogether difliinft. No change 
of place, or accidents of any kind, could reduce 
this plant to the condition of the common 
tnilkwort^ or raife that to the ftate of this ; its 
own feeds produce it, and no other. 
The root is long, flender, and divided into 
many parts. 
The leaves on the firfl: flioots are fmal!, but 
not broad: they are numerous, fhort, and fharp- 
pointed. 
The ftalks are firm, rigid, ered, and ten 
inches high. 
The leaves are numerous, and fl;and irregu- 
larly : they are narrow, of a deep green, fliarp- 
pointed, and fmooth. 
The flowers ftand upon the tops of the fl:alks 
in a fhort fpike : they are large and purple. 
The feed-vefl'el is flat, large, and full of mi- 
nute feeds; 
It is common in hilly paflures, and flowers in 
C. Bauhine calls it Polygala major. J. Bau- 
hine, Polygala vulgaris major. 
I have never feen any variation in the colour 
of the flower in this fpecies : it is always of the 
fame ftrong uniform red. 
REIGN SPECIES. 
Plukenet calls it Polygala. j€thiopica angujiis 
birfutis foliis jiore ohfolete purpurea \ but the flowers 
are oftener white than purple. 
2. Feathered Milkwort. 
Polygala crijiis Jimbriatis. 
The root is woody, long, divided, and fpread- 
ing. 
The ftem is woody, and divided into many 
branches. 
The leaves fland irregularly ; and are long, 
narrow, of a pale green, undivided at the edges, 
and pointed at the ends. 
The flowers are large, and very beautiful : 
they fland in long fpikes, and each has its fepa- 
rate long and flender footftalk ; they are de- 
fended by a broad covering, compofed of three 
leaves. 
