r8o 
The B R I T I S 
H HERBAL. 
The leaves ftand in pairs, and are placed at 
fmall diftances from one another : they are of a 
duflcy green, fhort, and pointed at the ends. 
The flowers are fmall and white, and they 
are compofed each of five petals, undivided at 
the tips, 
The fced-veflei is oval ; and the feeds are very 
numerous, fmall, and brown, 
It is common on old walls, and flowers in 
June. 
C.-Bauhine calls it Alfine minor viulticaulis. 
Others, JIfme mbihna. 
6, Plantain-leaved Chickweed, 
Jlfme foliis ■planto.ginu. 
The root is compofed of numerous flender 
fibres. 
The ftalT<s are numerous, weak, tender, and fix 
inches high. 
The leaves ftand in pairs without footftalks : 
they are oblong and broad, largeft in the middle, 
pointed at the end, and of a pale green ; and 
they have the ribs running, in the manner of 
thqCe of plantain leaves, all lengthwife. 
,This is a very obvious particular, and chiefly 
charadterifcs the plane. 
The flowers rife from the bofoms of the leaves; 
on Qendcr footftalks, or they ftand at the tops of 
the young flioocs, which rife from the leaves in 
great numbers : they are fmall and white. 
The feed-vefiel is roundifh, and the feeds are 
fmall, numerous, kidney-ihaped, and brown. 
It is a native of our woods, and flowers in 
July. 
C. Bauhine calls it AJfim flmtaginis folHs. 
Others have followed him. 
The petals of the flower in this fpCcies, as in 
the preceding, are undivided. 
Linnsus makes the divifion of the petals a 
generical charJi5ter of Jijine or chickweed ; Mr. 
Ray did the fame before him ; but we fee in thefe 
two plants the error of that determination : they 
plainly and palpably beJofig to the fame genus 
with the common chickweed, and we have thus 
joined therh with that, and others of its kind, 
lihder the fame common name aljine : Mr. Ray, 
feparating them on this flight account, has been 
obliged to pUce them among the fpurreys, fper- 
gsiU, plants with which they have no aUiance. 
. 7. Common Stltchwort. 
J(/inc fiore majore anguJiifoUa. 
The root is flender and creeping : it runs un- 
der the furfacc, and fends out clufters of fibres 
from many parts. 
The ftalks are numerous, upright, and flen- 
der; they are of a brownifli green, harfli, and 
edged; and toward the upper part have many 
branches. 
They fupport. themfelves among buflies, and 
rife to a foot and half high. 
The leaves ftand in pairs, and are long, nar- 
row, and fliarp-pointed. 
The flowers are numerous, fnow white, large, 
and very beautiful: they confift each of five 
petals divided at the ends; and they ftand on flen- 
der footftalks growing from the tops of the 
branches, and of the upper divifions of the ftalks. 
The feed-vefleis are large and roundifli ; and 
the feeds are numerous and fmall. 
It is common under hedges, and flowers in 
May. 
C. Bauhine calls it Caryophyllus holojieus arvenjis 
gkber fiore majors. Others, Gramen kucanthemitm. 
We SHtchwort. 
8. Small-flowered Stitchwort. 
Jlfme angujtifolia fiore minors. 
The root is flender and creeping. 
The ftalks are numerous, ftraggling, weak, 
and a foot high. 
Tlie leaves are narrow and long, harlh to the 
touch, and of a bluifli green. 
The flowers are white and fmall : they grow 
at the tops of the ftalks, on flender pedicles, and 
they are very numerous. 
They confift each of five petals, divided at the 
edge; and they have red buttons on the threads : 
this is a Angular circumftance, and diftinguifties 
the plant at fight. 
The feed-veflel is roundifli,, and the feeds arc 
numerous. 
' It is common under hedges, together wdth the 
former ; and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it CaryophyUus holofteus arven^ 
fis glaher fiore minore. Others, Gramen leucanthe- 
mum minus. ' 
g. Low Stitchwort with great flowers. 
Jifine angufiifoUa humilior fioribus maximus. 
The root is compofed of a tuft of fibres, and 
does not creep under the furface, as in the other. 
The ftalks are numerous, fliarply edged, rigid, 
harfli to the touch, and firm : they are not much 
branched, and they are ten inches high : they 
fupport themfelves very well at this height, and 
do not need the afliftance of buflies, as the com- 
mon kind. 
The leaves are narrow, long, and Iharp-point- 
ed : they ftand in pairs, and are of a greyifti 
green colour. 
The flowers are large and white : they ftand 
at the tops of the branches, ana are compofed 
of five petals notched at the top. 
The feed-veflel is round, and the feeds are nu- 
merous. 
It is a native of our fen counties, and flowers 
in June. 
Ray calls it CaryophyUus holofteus arvenfij 
medins, ' Mentzeliiis, CaryophyUus holofteus f olis 
gramineis. 
10. Fine-leaved Chickweed. 
/JIfine tenuifoUa. 
The root is a tuft of long and flender fibres': 
the leaves that firft rife from it are extremely 
narrow, and of a pale green : many ftalks rife 
among thefe, and they then grow yellow, and 
foon fade. 
The ftalks are flender, upright, and ten inches 
high. 
They are of a yellowifli green, not much 
branched, and divided at the top into a wide head. 
The 
