The BRITISH HERBAL. 
335 
Common May-apple. 
Podopbyllnm milgarc. 
The root is long, flender, and creeping: it 
runs juft under the fiirface, and has numerous 
fibres annexed to it. 
The ftalk is round, upright, firm, of a yel- 
lowiflr colour, and about a foot high. 
It is naked to the top ; where it divides ufually 
into two parts, and on each of thefe is fupported 
a fingle leal. 
This is very large, of a roundilh form, but di- 
vided down to the ftalk into about fix fegments. 
The colour is a yellovvilh green, and the fub- 
ftance firm. 
The flower rifes in the midft between thcfe two 
parts of the ftalk ; and has a flender pedicle of an 
inch long. 
It is large and white. 
The fruit is oblong, large, and of an orange- 
colour when ripe. 
It is a native of North America, and flowers 
in May. 
Authors in general call it J?iapci!opbyUum Cc:~ 
nadenfe. 
\ G E N U S V. 
WINTER-CHERRY. 
ALKEKENGI. 
THE flower is Formed of a fingle petal; which is hollowed, large, folded, and divided at the 
edce into five broad, pointed fegments. The cup is formed of a fingle leaf ; and is ot a bloated 
ftiape an°d divided alfo toward the edge into five pointed fegments : it is of a pentangular form, and 
remains with the fr. it The berry is roundilh, and is contained in the cup, which becomes very large, 
clofes about it, and acquires a colour The feeds are numerous, kidney-lhaped, and compreff.d. 
Linnxus places this among the pentandria monogynia ; the threads m the flower being five, and the 
ftyle from the rudiment of the fruic fingle. He calls the genus phyfalis. 
I. Common Winter-Cherry. 
Alkekengi vulgare. 
The root is flender, and creeps under the fur- 
face. 
The ftalk is round, upright, a foot and half 
high, and divided into feveral branches. 
The leaves are placed two at a joint, on long 
footftalks ; and they are large, and of a fine deep 
green : they are broadeft at the bafe, narrower to 
the point, and undivided at the edg^-s. 
The flowers are placed on flender footflialks in 
the bofoms of the leaves : they are large and 
white. 
The fruit fucceed.s ; and makes a fingular ap- 
pearance : it is a red berry of the bignefs oi a 
cherry, and is furroundeJ by a kind of bag or 
bladder formed of the cup; which fwells lor that 
purpofe, and acquires a red colour. 
It is a native of the warmer parts of Europe, 
and flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Solaniim i-eficarium. Others, 
Alkeketigi. 
The berries are celebrated for many virtues i 
but the prefent practice neglcdls them : they 
operate by urine, and are good againft obfl:ruc- 
tions of the vifcera ; but as we have fo many more 
powerful medicines for the fame intentions, they 
are not worth much regard. 
2. Sleepy Nightfliade. 
Alkekengi jioribus confertis. 
This, though called a nighl/Jjade, is properly a 
fpecies of izmnr -cherry. The difference is not 
fo nreat, that we fliould wonder old authors, lels 
accurate than in the charaders of the genera, 
did not perceive it. 
The root is long and thick. 
The firft leaves are very large, broad, fhort, 
obtufely pointed, and fupported on fliort foot- 
flialks : their colour is a deep green. 
The fl:alk is round, upright, and two feec 
high : toward the top it ufually divides into I'e- 
veral branches. 
The leaves are placed on fhort footftalks, and 
rclemble thofe from the root -. they are alfo ot a 
duflcy green on the upper fide, but paler under- 
neatli. 
The flowers grow in cluftcrs round the ftalk at 
the joints; and they are fmall, and of a ycl- 
lowifti white. 
The berry is fmall and red : it remains in the 
cup, where it i^ dctended by a woolly matter. 
It is a native of the warmer pares of Europe, 
and flowers in July. 
C, Bauhine calls it Solanum fonmiferum veriinl- 
latim. 
It is accounted poifonous ; but outwardly is in 
common ufe in Spain to promote fleep. The 
leaves are bruifed tor this purpofe, and laid on 
the temples. 
3. Woolly Winter-Cherry. 
Alkekengi foliis lanw^inofis. 
The root is long, thick, and furniflied with 
many fibres. 
The ftalk is firm, woody, and divided into 
branches. 
The leaves are placed on flender footftalks ; 
and they are fliorr, broad, obtule, of a whiciOi co- 
lour, and of a woolly furface. 
The flowers ftand fingly on long footft"a!ks 
rifing from the bofoms of the leaves ; and they 
are fmall, and of a very pale redilh colour. 
The berry is large, and of a coral red. 
It 
