The BRITISH HERBAL. 
149 
DIVISION I. B R I T I S H S P E C I E S. 
I. Wood Spurge. 
Ti'hjma/iis chciracias amygdahides. 
The root 1.S coniporcd of a multitude of large 
fibres, vvhicii fpread every way. 
The ilalks are numerous and firm: they are 
thick, upright, and round, and have a redifli 
baric, and under that a green one : they are a yard 
high, and not branched, except where they fpread 
an the top tor howering. 
'X'he leaves are lange and numerous : they arc 
long, narrow, and fofc to the touch: they are 
of a deep green, and a little hairy at the upper 
lide ; and of a greyifh green, and more hairy un- 
clerneatli ; and their middle rib is red toward the 
bafe. 
The fiowers are greenifh, fmall, and very nu- 
merous : tiif y ft^nd at the top of the ftalks on 
fmall, divided branches, which fpread in a kind 
of umbel, and which have, at their infertions and 
divifions, Ihorter kav-es thaa thofe on the fi:a!k ; 
the figure, and difpofjtion of the petals of the 
flower, form numerous crefcentSi fo that the 
whole top in flower has a beaiuiifui appear- 
ance. 
The whole plant irs full of a cauftick, milky 
juice. 
It is frequent in woods and oa heaths, and 
flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Tithymalus characias amyg' 
daloides ; and almoft all who have written fince 
have copied him, 
2. Red French Spurge. 
*Tithymalus cbaracias rubefcens. 
The root is long, thick, and divided into 
feveral parts, and furnifhed with many fibres. 
The ftalk is round, firm, red, upright, and 
three feet high. 
The leaves are long, narrow, and Hi arp- pointed : 
they have Hiort footftalks, and are fmooth, of a 
dead green at firft, but afterwards red : they are 
of a hard, firm fubftance, and differ as much in 
that as colour from thofe of the preceding fpecies. 
Toward the top the ftalk divides into a vail 
number of branches, on which ftand the flowers 
in a great umbel : they are fmall, very nume- 
rous, and of fo deep a purple that they appear 
black. 
The feed-vcfie! is very large: the whole plant, 
when ic has ftood fome time, becomes red. 
It IS common in France and Germany, and is 
of late found to be a native of our country. 
Dr. Plot mentions its being found wild in Staf- 
fordHiirci and Mr. Ray takes notice of the place, 
though he fufpeited it to arife from feeds fcattered 
from a garden : it has fince been found on the 
mountains in the north of Ireland. 
It flowers in May. 
C. Bauhine calls it T'ilk^malus cbaracias ruheyis 
peregri7i'us. The generality of later authors call 
it Titkymahs cbaracias MonJpcHcnfmmj from its 
frequency about that place. 
3. Rough-fruited Spurge.- 
Tithymalus 'verrucofus. 
The root is eompofed of a fmall head, and a 
numerous tuft of fibres. 
The fl:aik is round, flender, upright, not at 
all branched, and a foot high. 
The leaves (land irregularly, and are broad, 
fliort, iharp-pointed, fmooth, of a pale green, 
and not at all indented at the edges. 
The flowers ftand in a fmall tuft, or umbel, at 
the top of the plant j and they are little, and of 
a yellowifli green. 
The feed velTei is roundifh, large, and rough: 
it is more confpicuous than in mofl: of the other 
kinds, and has been luppofed to refemble a wart : 
the feeds are large. 
It is found in the northern counties, but is not 
common. 
C. Bauhine calls it 'Tithymahis myrjinites fruSIu 
'uerriica fmili, 
4. Sea Spurge. 
T'ithyfnalns ?mril!mus. 
The root is very long, and furnilbed with a 
few fibres. 
The fl:alks are numerous, thick, rouod, and a 
foot and half high : they are perfeilly covered 
with the leaves ; fo that the plant makes a very 
fingular appearance. 
The leaves are oblong, narrow, undivided at 
the edges, and pointed at the ends : they ftand 
upwards, and are placed, in the manner of fcales, 
one over another. 
The flowers ftand in a fmall umbel at the top 
of the plant, and are little and greenifh. 
The fced-veffel is large, and the feeds are alfo 
large. 
1 he whole plant is perfe6tly fmooth, and of z 
bluifh green colour. 
It is common on our fca-coafl:s, and flowers in 
June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Titbymalus maritimus. J. 
Bauhine, Tithymalus paralius; and moft of the 
fucceeding authors have taken one or other of 
thefe names. 
5. Knobby-rooted Spurge. 
Titbymalus radice crajfa. 
The root is large, thick, and tuberous ; of a 
brownilh colour, with a tindt of red on the out- 
fide, and full of a milky juice. 
The fl:alks are numerous, weak, round, of a 
pale green, and a foot high. 
The leaves are fhort, very numerous, and of 
a pale green : they are not at all indented, and 
they terminate in a rounded end. 
The flowers are fmall and yellowifh, and form 
a kind of umbel at the tops of the branches. 
The feed-vefiel is large, as are alfo the feeds. 
It is frequent in the cornfields of Ireland ; and 
flowers in Augufl:. 
Merrec calls it Titbymalui HUemicus. 
N» 15. 
6. Broad 
