The BRITISH HERBAL. 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the ftalks in a 
regular and beautiful manner, and they are fmall 
and yellow : they have fwoln or bloated cups. 
The feed-velTel is fmall and oblong, and the 
feeds are little and brown. 
It is a native of Crete, and flowers in Auguft. 
Alpinus calls it Vifcaria maxima Cretica ; and 
others borrow the name from him. 
Mr. Ray, and others fince have fufpeded this 
to be the fame plant with the preceding, from 
the refemblance in fome points; but this is owing 
only to the imperfett defcriptions. 
The whole habit of this fpecies is different 
from that, and the form of the cups difl:inguifhes 
them entirely. It is natural to make thcfe mil- 
takes from imperfcd defcriptions: but thofe who 
have feen the plant from the Ipot cannot be under 
any diflicuky in determining it altogether fepa- 
ratc. 
Little is known with certainty of the virtues 
of this numerous genus. 
The common while campion is ufed by the 
couniry people in fome places to make an oint~ 
ment, which they commend for its virtues againft: 
hard fweilings; and, elfwhere, the leaves of 
the fame fpecies, dried in an oven and powdered, 
are given children againfl; convulfions. 
In Germany they celebrate feverat of the 
common kinds as wound-herbs ; and with us 
the red catchfiy is faid to poflefs, in common 
with foapivort^ a virtue of difperfing grumous 
blood, and of relieving in bruifes external and 
internal. 
The cockle is celebrated alfo as a wound-herb, 
but on a diffi.rent principle. It is faid to have 
great virtue in flopping blood and healing freHi 
cuts. 
It is alfo ufed againfl: cutaneous foulnefTes in 
fome places, in form of a decoiflion to wafh the 
parts, or in an ointment. 
The root ot this Ipecies, dried and powdered, 
ftands recommended alfo greatly againfl hremor- 
rhages, and feems worth a trial ; the dofe fhould 
be about fifteen grains. 
GENUS III. 
C I S T U S. 
HEATH SUNFLOJVER. 
T^HE flower is large and fpecious ; and confifl:s of five broad regularly expanded petals : the cup 
is compofed of five leaves ^ of thefe two are fmaller than the other three ; and it remains 
with the feed-vefiel : this is of a roundilh fhape, and contains numerous fmall and roundifli feeds. 
LinnEeus places this among his polyandria monogynia i the filaments in the flower being nume- 
rous, and growing to the receptacle ; and the fliyle from the rudiment of the fruit being finglc. 
Many authors have diftinguiflied two genera among the plants properly belonging to this, calling 
the one helia>ubemum and chanheciftus^ and the other cijlus; but there is not in nature any certain 
and fufficient foundation for this diflinftion ; and it is more proper to keep the plants all together, as 
they evidently agree in the feveral charaifters which are proper to eftablifli a genus. 
Our Englifla names of heath funflower and dwarf cijlus are preferved in fome writers for the com- 
mon wild kinds with us ; but in general the Latin name of the genus, cijfuSi has got into common 
ufe, and has fuperfeded all the Englifli ones. 
DIVISION L BRITISH SPECIES. 
r. Common fmall Ciftus. 
Cijlus procumhens Ugnofus. 
The root is long, flender, divided into many 
parts, and furniflied with numerous long, tough, 
brown, and crooked fibres. 
The ftalks are very numerous: they rife all 
from one head of the root, and fpread themfelves 
every way, fo as to form a great roundifli tuft. 
They are brown, hard, woody, and are a foot 
or more in length ; but they, for the mofl: part, 
trail upon the ground : they,> are frequently 
branched, and oi a brown colour. 
The leaves are oblong and broad : they are of 
a dufky green : they ftand in pairs, and are placed 
very thick upon all parts of the flialks : they fre- 
quently are turned back, and they have a light 
hairyncfs. 
The flowers are large, beautiful, and of a 
gold yellow : they ftand on naked, fl:raggling, 
and crooked flioots that run up from the tops of 
the fl;alks, and each has its feparate, flender 
pedicle : they quickly fall off. 
The feed-veffel is of a roundifli form, and the 
feeds are numerous, fmall, and brown. 
It is common on heaths, and by road-fides, 
in many parts of England ; and flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Cham^cijtus vulgaris fiore 
Ittteo. Others, Helianthemum vulgare. The 
Englifli writers. Dwarf cijfus, or Sunflower. 
2. Cift:us with narrow petals. 
Ciflus procumhens petalis angujtis. 
The root is long, flender, brown, woody, and 
divided into many long, crooked parts. 
The ftalks are numerous, flender, woody, and 
trailing. 
The leaves ftand in pairs, and they are oblong, 
a little hairy, of a pale green on the underfide, 
and of a deep green above; and they are ob- 
tufe at the ends. 
3 The 
