258 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
GENUS II. 
LUNARVIOLET. 
LU N A R I A. 
THE flower is compofed of four petals difplayed crofs-ways they are large, obtufe, undivided, 
and have [lender bottoms of the length of the cup. The cup is formed of four leaves, of an 
oval or oblong figure, and convergent at their tops ; there are two of them thick at the bafe : the 
fced-veffel is of an elliptic or long-round figure, flatted, ereft, and very large : it is terminated by a 
long point, and is formed of two valves, and divided into two cells or partitions by a membrane, 
which runs parallel with the fides. 
Linnseus places this among the tetradynamia fiUculofa ; the threads of the flower being fix, four of 
which are longer than the other two, and the feed-veflel a proper filicula or flialc. 
Others have arranged it among the filiquofe plants, or thofe whofe feed-veflel is a regular pod ; 
but erroneoufly. The diftinclions in thefe cafes are fmall, but they are fuflicient: the filiquofe and 
filiculofe plants of feveral genera approach very nearly to one another, but a ftriit examination of the 
feed-vefl"el will always fliew without error to which clafs any plant truly belongs. 
DIVISION 1. BRITISH SPECIES. 
Lunar Violet, with a wreathen pod. 
Lunaria fiUqua intorta. 
7'he root is compofed of a few threads. 
The firfl: leaves arc oblong, fomewhat broad, 
and of a greyilh green : they are fmall, and they 
grow in a thick tuft, partly rifing up, and partly 
fpread upon the ground. 
The ftalk rifes in the midfl: of this tuft ; and 
is round, upright, flender, of a greyifh colour, 
and eight inches high. 
The leaves on it are placed irregularly ; and 
they are oblong, broad, and of a bluifli green. 
The flowers fl:and at the tops of the fl:alks, and 
are fmall and white. 
The feed-vefl'el is oblong and twifledj and the 
feeds are kidney-fliaped, and large. 
It is found on our northern mountains, and 
flowers in Aprik 
Petiver calls it Lunaria comma major. Plu» 
kenet, Lecoium five lunaria vafado fublongo intarto. 
Merret, Paronychia Gnaphalii facie. 
This is mentioned a fecond time, though with 
uncertainty, in the fynopfis ofBritilh plants, under 
the name of Paronychi^e fimilis^ fed major perennjs 
alpina re-pens. The author fuppofed it might be 
the fame with the former ; and it has been found 
to be fo by thofe who have feen it in the places 
there mentioned with the fccd-vellels ripe. 
DIVISION II. 
FOREIGN SPECIES. 
I. Honefly. 
Lunaria filicuUs fubrotundis. 
The root is a tuft of thick fibres. 
The firfl: leaves are few, and quickly fade ; 
they are of a heart-fafliioned fliape, and of an 
obfcure, dufky, green colour. 
The ftalk is round, upright, firm, branched* 
and three feet high. 
The leaves on this are placed at difl:ancesi and 
they are large and heart-falhioned, broad, and in- 
dented at the bafe, ferrated at the edges, and 
fliarp-pointed : their colour i.f a dufky green, and 
they are lightly hairy. 
I hc flowers are very numerous, and ftand to- 
ward the extremities, and at the tops of the 
branches : they are long, and of a beautiful 
purple. 
The feed-vefl"el is very broad, and extremely 
thin : it is rounded, and terminated by a flender 
point, and when ripe has a filky or fattiny ap- 
pearance -, whence 'the plant has been called the 
fallin-planl, and fatHn-Jlower : the feeds are large, 
but not numerous. 
It is a native of Germany, and flowers in May. 
C. Bauhine calls it Lunaria ?!iajor fliqua rotun- 
diore. Others, Viola lunnris vulgaris^ and Bulho- 
nach. Its proper Englifh name is the Round- 
podded lunar vickL 
2. Lunar violet, with oblong pods. 
Lunaria fiUquis ohiongis. 
The root is compofed of numerous, thick 
fibres, and remains the winter ; whereas the other 
is an annual, dying as foon as the feed is ripened. 
The firft leaves of this are very large : they 
are fliort and broad, indented at the bafe, ferrated 
at the edges, and pointed at the ends. 
The fl:alks are numerous, round, green, a little 
hairy, and three feet high. 
The leaves on them refemble thofe from the 
root; they are fhort, and heart-fafliioned, fharply 
indented, and pointed; and they ftand on flen- 
der, hairy footftalks. 
The flowers are placed at the tops of the ftalks 
and branches ; and are of a pale purple, large, 
and very handfome. 
I he feed-veflTels are thin and flat, like thofe of 
the common kind ; but they are oblong. 
The feeds are few, large, and brown. 
It is a native of Spain, and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Viola lunaria major fliq^ua oh- 
The virtues of thefe plants are unknown ; nor 
does it appear, from any manifeft qualities, that 
they are worth regarding. 
GENUS 
