Tlie BRITISH HERBAL. 
3-3 
difli ; and the leaf (lands flatways, not ercft, 
upon' it : it is of a beart-like fiiape, and of a 
deep, fine green. 
Tlie ftallc which fupports the flowers r.fes 
from fome other part of the root: it is four 
inches high, flender, redifli, and upright. About 
the middle it has two leaves, placed at fome dif- 
tance, one over riie other t they are heart-fa- 
fhioned, and of the fame fine green : they fur- 
round the flalk at the bafe, and terminate in a 
point. 
The flowers terminate the ftalk m a thick, 
fliort fpikc : they are fmall, white, and of a very 
fragrant fir.ell. 
The berries are fmall, and, when ripe, red. 
It is frec^uent in the mountainous parts of Ger- 
many, v.'here the foil is damp. It flowers in 
June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Lillium convallium minus. 
Others, Monophylk-n. 
It has been faid to grow wild in fome parts of 
England ; but there was fome miffake in the ac- 
count. Species are feldom lofl; in a kingdom 
where they ever did grow wild ; and it is not 
found with us now. 
The root of this laft fpecies has been celebrated 
againll the plague, but I fear upon no good 
foundation. 
N U 
VI. 
H E R B T R U E L O V E. 
HERB A PARIS. 
T'HE flower confifts of an uncertain number of petals ; they are oblong, and they fpread open. 
The cup is compofed of an uncertain number of leaves, and it remains after the flower. The fruit 
is a berry of a roundifh form, but fomewhat angulated in four parts, and divided witiiin into four 
cells ■ in each of which are two rows of feeds. The ftalk is fimple, and the leaves grow all from one 
^"Lbnsus places this among the oltandrm lelmgyma ; the threads in the flower being eight, and the 
ftyles from the rudiment of the fruit being four, anfwerable to its four divifions. 
This author takes away a part of the received name ; he writes it only Pmis. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
Herb Truelove. 
Herl^fi Paris vulgaris. 
The root creeps under the furface : it is long, 
(lender, and has numerous libres. 
The ftalk is fingle, upright, not at all branched, 
and a foot high. 
The leaves grow all from one part near the 
top : they are four. Their colour is a fine deep 
green, and they are broad and oblong. 
The flower is fingle, one only on each plant : 
it terminates the ftalk, and is compofed of four 
petals, and is of a greenifti white. The cup is 
of the fame colour, and is formed of four leaves. 
The berry is large and black. We have it in 
woods, but not common. Authors call it Herha 
Paris. 
The berries are recommended as good in ma- 
lignant fevers internally, and as cooling in out- 
ward applications ; but it is not now ufed. 
Our people, who, from its leaves growing in 
this finguiar manner, call it Truelover's ktict, 
have in lomc places an opinion of its vittua as 
a lovc-powder ; but this is idle. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES. 
Trifoliate Herb Truelove. 
Herha Paris Irifohata. 
The root is large, thick, and tuberous, and 
has few fibres. 
The ftalk is round, upright, firm, not at .ill 
branched, and about a foot high. 
Toward tlic middle there ftand three leaves : 
thefe are bi'oad, fliort, and ftrarp-pointed : they 
are of a firm fubftance j and their colour is a fine 
green. 
The flower is fingle, one only growing on each 
plant: it terminates the ftalk, and is very large 
and beautiful : it confifts of three petals, and it 
ftands in a three-leaved cup. The colour is a 
deep purple, and the cup is green. 
The berry is very large and black : the feeds 
are numerous. 
It is a native of North America, and flowers 
in July. 
Cornutus calls it Solatium triphyllum Cam- 
denfe. 
No plant fliews more perfcffly or more plainly 
than this fpecies of Ihrba Paris, the impropriety 
of L.innai-us's iTiethod of forming the clafles on 
the number of threads in the flower. None can 
doubt, nor can himfelf deny, that this is a fpecies 
of the fame genus ; yet he is obliged to acknow- 
ledge, that the threads, and all the other parts of 
frudfification, are in this one-fourth in number 
lefs than in the other. The threads are three, 
and fo of the reft. 
The chara(5ter we have given of the genus, 
taking in the difpofition of the leaves, is perfeft : 
it admits both thefc fpecies, and it excludes all 
other plants : but this no gencrical charafter catj 
do that is formed upon the threads of the flower. 
We have (hewn the fame truth in other in- 
ftances ; but it is in none fo ftriking. 
GENUS 
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