208 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
The feed-veflel is uneven and angulated, with an opening at the top, f^irroundcd with three little 
points, which are the remains of the ftyles : the cup is fma!!, and formed of a Tingle piece, divided 
into five parts, two of which iland wider afiinder than the reft. 
LinnEus places this among \\\% poiyandria trigynia ; the filaments being numerous, and growing to 
the receptacle ; and the ftyles being three. 
This author joins the i'efeda in one genus with this, and thence has created himielf a great deal of 
trouble and confufion. 
He complains of the difficulty of eftabliihing a character for this genus : but if he had avoided 
that confufion of joining a diftinft one to it, and had paid more regard to larger parts, and lefs to 
the more minute, the taflc would have been eafy, and the ftudencs path, which is perplexed in the 
higheft degree in this method, would have been rendered pKiin and eafy, as we fliall fliew it in ours. 
DIVISION I. 
BRITISH SPECIES. 
I. Common Diers-weed. 
LiitEola vulgnris. 
The root is long, white, divided into feveral 
parts, and hung round with many threads. 
The firll leaves rife in a large and beautiful 
tuft : the outer ones are long and narrow and 
the others Jliorter all the way to the centre : they 
have no footftalks : they are not at all indented 
at the edges ; and they are of a bright green. 
The flalks are ftrait, upright, (lender, not at 
all branched, and tliree feet high. 
The leaves on them are placed irregularly, and 
are of the fame form with thofe from the root; 
but of a yellowifh green. 
The flowers are fmall and yellow: they ftand 
in a long fpike at the top of the ftalk. 
The fecd-veflels are large, and the feeds ex- 
tremely numerous, and fmalh 
It is common on ditch-banks, and in other wafte 
ground i and flowers in July. It is alfo culti- 
vated in fields in fome places for the ufe of the 
diers. 
C. Bau-hine calls it Lu'eola herba folicis folio. 
Otheis, Luteola, and Herba lutea. 
In Englifh, befides its name D'lers-weed, it is 
called irold and fp'ould ; thefe names found like 
woisd, and the two plants, though in themfelves 
perfectly diflindt, have from this been confounded 
one with another by the hufbandmen. Even 
many of thole who have written treatifes for 
their inftruflion, have thought them the fame 
plant. 
The diers ufe the whole herb, and find it an- 
fwer more purpufcs than one: they boll it with 
alum, and in this condition it dyes yellow alone 
or with a mixture of blue it makes a green. 
White cloths are put in to be dyed yellow, and 
the colour given by this herb is a very rich and 
good one: for greens they generally dye the cloth 
blue firil, and then dip it into this liquor, which 
mixing with the blue tinge, makes a f^rong 
green. 
2. Short-leaved Diers-weed. 
LuUoia parva Joins brevibus. 
The root is long, ficnder, and furniflied with 
many fibres. 
The firft leaves are numerous, and fpread them- 
felvcs on the ground in feveral circular fcries ; 
the fmallefl: in the middle: they are oblono-, and 
fomewhat broad j not fo long and narrow in 
proportion to their fize as the others. 
The flalk is fingle, not at all branched, and 
about eight inches high. 
The leaves are placed irregularly on it; and 
they are oblong, and fomewhat broad. 
The flowers are very numerous, fmall, and of 
a pale yellow : they fland in a long fpike at the 
top of the ftalk. 
The fecd-vefll-I is flender and crooked, and 
edged with three ribs. 
It is found on walls, and on barren grounds 
among corn. It flowers in July. 
Ray calls it Lutecla minima pohgaj^ folio. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES. 
Sharp leaved Diers-weed. 
Refeda foliis anguflis actmimiis. 
The root is long, flender, white, and full of 
fibres. 
The leaves that rife firfl: are very narrow, 
long, and fharp-pointed : they do not fpread 
themlelves upon the ground, but rife up in a 
thick tuft. 
The ftalk is round, firm, upright, ten inches 
high, and yellow. 
It does not divide into branches, but fends out 
'a number of ftaoots all the way up from the bo- 
foms of the leaves ; fo that it appears of a pyra- 
midal form. 
1'he leaves are placed alternately and at con- 
fiderable diftances : they are very long, narrow 
and fharp at the point, and are of a pale green. 
The flowers ftand in long fpikes at the top of 
the ftalk, and of thefe branches j and they are 
very fmall, and of a pale yellow. 
The feed veftel is oblong and crooked ; and 
the feeds are very numerous and fmall. 
It is a native of the mountainous parts of 
Europe, and flowers in Auguft. 
Tournefort calls it Luteola pumila pyrenaica 
linaria; folio. 
, . The leaves are not of that yellowilh hue that 
thofe of our common diers-weed get when they 
begin to grow dry ; but are at firft of a blm.fti 
green, and afterwards greyifia, 
GENUS 
