The BRITISH HERBAL. 
Linnsus places this among the didynamia angiofpirmid ; the feeds being contained in a capii.ile, and 
the flower having four threads, two longer, and two fliorter. 
This author takes away its former name, and calls it lathr.-ea. It has the name clandijiixj from 
this circumftance, that almofl: the whole plant is buried, and grows underground, nothing appear- 
ing above the furface but a frtiall part of the ftalk and the fpike of flowers. 
Purple Clandeftina. 
Clmhiejlinn purpurea. 
The root, properly and diftinfily fo called, is 
only a tuft of black, fliort fibres •, but if we 
comprehend under that name all the part of the 
plant under ground, it is to be called thick and 
branched : this part, however, is properly the 
ftalk, not the root of the plant, and is to be 
confidered as fuch, from its manner of growing 
and office, though it take the place of the root ; 
thele black fibres alone being confidered as part 
jof the root. 
The ftalk is five inches high, thick, and di- 
vided into many branches : it is of a whitifh 
colour, and full of juice, and is covered with a 
kind of rudiments of leaves : thefe are fhort, 
broad, and thin ; and they lie in a fcaly form 
upon the ftalks. 
Many of thefe flioot from the main flem, and 
grow two or three inches high all the way within 
the earth, where they perifh without ever com- 
ing to the air : the main, or principal ftalk only 
pierces the furface of the ground, and fliews it- 
lelf. This is full of the buds of flowers, 
and rifes, in a crooked form, an inch and half 
long ; and in fome degree, from its fliapc and 
colour, refembles the comb of a cock. 
The flowers foon aiter open, and are large, 
and of a deep purple, as is a!fj the ftalk and all 
that appears above ground, and fometimes what 
is below, though that is more ufually white. 
The feed veflel is roundilh and large: the feeds 
are minute. 
It is found in forefts in many parts of Ger- 
many. 
Mentzelius calls it Orobanche radice dcntata 
allius radicante foliis cl fioribui puj-pureis. 
GENUS II. 
BIRTHWORT. 
ARISTOLOCHIA. 
THE flower confifts of a fingle petal, and is of an irregular figure : it is formed into a tube, which 
has a roundifh, folded bafe, the foldings being fix ; and a wide mouth, wl-.ich in the lower 
part runs out into a v.-ry long and undivided tongue : the tube is flightly hexangular ; it has no cup s 
the feed-vcffel is large and roundifli, and in fome <)egree hexangular'. 
Linnsus places this among his gynandria hexandriti ; the buttons being fix, and growing without 
threads to the piftii. 
It very plainly belongs to the reft of this clafs ; the flower being compofed of one petal 
of an irregular form, and followed by a fingle feed-veffel ; and it is one of the misfortunes of Lin- 
n^us's method that he feparates it from thofe to which it is allied, placing it in a diftinft arrange 
racnt, becaufe of this little Angularity of the buttons. 
I. Round Birthwort. 
Ari^olochia rotunda. 
The root is very large, tuberous, and of a 
roundifii figure, with many fibres growing irre- 
gularly from various parts of its furface : it is 
rough on the furface, brown on the outfide, and 
yellow within ; and is of a bitter and very difa- 
greeable tafte. 
The ftallcs are numerous, weak, and fquare : 
they are of a pale green colour, and arc two feet 
long, but not abk to fupport themfelves up- 
right. 
The leave.5 are placed fingly, and at confide- 
rable diftances, and have no footftalks : they are 
large, and of a deep green ; they are of a heart- 
falhioned fliape, encompaffing the ftalk at the 
bafe, and thence growing fmaller to the end, 
where they terminate in an obtufe point. 
The flowers ftand fingly on long footftalks 
rifing from the bofoms of the leaves : they are 
long and crooked, and are of a greenifh colour 
.pn the outfide, and of a blackifli purple within. 
The feed-veffel is very large, and of an oval 
K" 1.3. 
figure : if contains many feeds, with a fungous 
matter between them. 
It is common in the hedges of Spain and Italy, 
and in the fouth of France. 
C. Bauhine calls it Arijlolochia rotunda flora e>; 
purpura nigra. Others, only Arijiolochia rotunda. 
There is a variety of this plant, with the flower 
of a whitiOi purple, infl;ead of a blackifli purple : 
this has been treated of as a diftinci fpccies, but 
it is nothing more than a variation from accident. 
2. Long Birthwort, 
Arijiolochia lo?tga. 
T his is diftinguilhed at fight from the other, 
though it greatly referable it in the general Itirm, 
by its having footftalks to the leaves, the other 
having none. 
The root is large, thick, and of an irregular 
oblong figure. 
The ftalks are numerous, weak, and fquare : 
they are of a pale green, a foot and half long, 
but not ereft : they trail, and hang among any 
thing that will fupport them. 
L 1 Ihe 
