The BRITISH HERBAL. 
259 
GENUS III. 
WHITLOW-GRASS. 
PARONYCHIA. 
THE flower Is compofed of four petals, which open crofs-ways : they are of an oblong figure, 
and have very fiender bottoms. The cup is formed of four httle, hollow, oval leaves, which 
fall with the flower. The feed-veffel is oblong, flatted, and has fo fmall a point at the extremity, that 
it appears almoft deftitute of any : it is compofed of two valves, and divided into two cells by a 
membrane that runs parallel with them. The feeds are numerous and frnall. 
Linnaeus places this among the tetradynamia filicidofa ; the threads in the flower being four 
longer and two fhorter, and the feed-veflel a regular filicule or fliale. 
This author abolifhes the received name of the plants of this genus, and joins them with fome 
others under the term dreba. 
DIVISION I, BR 
I. Common Whitlow-grafs. 
Paronychia vulgaris. 
The root is long, flender, and hung with a 
multitude of little fibres. 
The leaves rife in a thick tuft, and are fmall, 
and of a diifky green : they are oblong and ob- 
tufe, and not at all indented at the edges. 
The flalks rife in the center of this tuft of 
leaves, many together : they are upright, flenderj 
yellowifh, and three or four inches high. 
There are no leaves on thefe, but ufually to- 
ward the tops a great number of flowers and feed- 
vefiels. 
The flowers are fmall and white. 
The feed-vefiels are oval, flat, and yellowifh ; 
and the feeds are numerous, and very fmall. 
It r common on walls and the tops of houfe?, 
and flowers very early in fi'iing. 
C.Bauhinc calls itBarf, pajtoris minor locuk ob- 
longo. Ouicrs, Paronychia vulgaris. 
People ]ay the leaves bruifed to whitlows on 
their fingers i tiut a common pultice would an- 
fwer their purpufc better j or thefe leaves, if ufed, 
Ihould be mixed with it. 
TV'- 'eves uf this plant are fometimes flightly 
indented, and fome have defcribcd it in this cafe 
under the name of a difl:in6t fpecies ; but it is 
DIVISION 11. F O 
I. Yellow Alpine Whitlow-grafs. 
Paronychia lutea Alpina. 
The root is thick, long, divided, and fur- 
pifhed with numerous fibres. 
The leaves rife from it in a very thick tuft 
and ftand extremely clofe in vafl: numbers : they 
are very fmall, fhort, and fharp-pointed : they 
are broad at the bafe, and not at all indented. 
The fl;alks are numerous, weak, round, flen- 
der, and naked ; and they are about three inches 
high. 
The flowers ftand at the tops, fix or eight on 
each, and they have long and very flender foot- 
ftalks : they are fmall, and of a bright yellow. 
The feed-veflcls are oval and fmalf, and the 
feeds are very minute and brown. 
ITISH SPECIES. 
one of thofe accidental varieties which will rife 
from the fame feeds with the other. 
2. Branched Whitlow-grafs. 
Paronychia ramofa hirficta. 
t he root is long, flender, and furniflied with 
feveral fibres. 
The firfl: leaves rife in a thick tuft ; and are 
oblong, broad, of a duflcy green, and hairy : 
they have no footftalks, and they are fliarply fer- 
rated at the edges, and pointed at the ends. 
The fl:alk rifes in the center, and is round, up; 
right, very much branched, hairy, and ten inches 
high. 
The leaves are placed irregularly, and are 
broad and fhort : the^ are largefl: at the bafe, nar- 
rower all the way to the point, and lerrated on 
t!ie edges. 
The flowers are fmall and white : they ftand 
in little tufts at the tops of all the branches. 
The feed-vefl^els are of an oval form, fmall, flatj 
and yellowifli ; and, when the plant has flowered 
fome little time, they ftand in long fpike^ beneath 
the flowers : the feeds are fmall and brown. 
C. Bauhine calls this Bur/a pafioris major locuto 
ohlongo. Others, 1'hlajpi foliis veronica. 
It is found on the hilly parts of our northern 
counties, and flowers in April. 
REIGN SPECIES. 
It Is a native of the Alps, and flowers in April. 
C. Bauhine calls it Sedum Alpnum luteum ; but 
the form of the feed-veflTel fliews the error of that 
name. Morifon calls it Burfa pajloris Alpina lu- 
tea rofea. Columna, Leucoimn luteum aizoides 
montanuffj. Some years the feafon not favouring, 
it is very minute but ufually it is of the fize and 
form defcribed here, 
2. Branched yellow Whitlow-grafs, 
Paronychia i-nmofa flore aureo. 
The root is long, flender, and furniflicd with 
many fibres. 
The leaves rife in a tuft without footftalks j 
and they are broad, oblong, and of a pale green, 
very hairy, and lightly ferrated at the edges. 
4 The 
