34-2 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
4. Celcick Spikenard. 
Valcria7ia foiiis ovalis ohtufis. 
It was with reafon C. Bauhine named the lafl: 
defcribed fpecies as refembling the Celtick fpike- 
nard ; for they are fo like in their general afptifi:, 
that a common eye might take them for the iame 
plant though, on a clofer examination, they are 
found to differ widely. 
The root Celtick [pikenard is very long, thick, 
and brown : it runs obliqu^^ly into the ground; 
and has nurrferous, large, and long fibres : and its 
furface is covered with a brown fcaly matter, the 
remains of footftalks of former leaves : it is of a 
fragrant fmell, as is alfo the whole plant. 
The firfl: leaves rife in a confiderable tuft : they 
are of an oblong form, but approaching to oval : 
they have long bafes, which ferve as tootftalks ; 
and they are broad, and obtufe at the ends, not 
at all indented at the edge, and of a fine green. 
The ftalks are weak, flender, round, of a pale 
green, and fix or eight inches high. 
The leaves on tbefe are oblong, narrow, ob- 
tufe, not at aii indented, and of a fine ftrong 
green. 
The flowers fl:and at the top in fmall, but 
thick tuks ; and they are of a btautifu! pale red, 
refembUng that of a damalk rofe. 
The feeds are fmall, oblong, and winged with 
down. 
It is common In France, Spain, and Italy, It 
flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it ISlardus Cellica D'wfcoridis, 
Others, Nardus Cellica. 
The root Is celebrated as a cordial and fudori- 
fick : it is a warm and gentle midicine; and, 
taken for a continuance in tinftu e or powder, it 
flircngthens the flomach, prevents flatulencies, 
and opens obftrui^ions ot the vifccra. 
GENUS II; 
LAMBS LETTUCE. 
V ALERIAN ELLA. 
'T^HE flower is formed of a fingle petal, which is tubular at the bottom, and crooked, and at the 
edge is divided into five fegments. The cup is very fmall, and lightly indented in five places at 
the rim. The feed is fingle, naked, and is not winged with down. 
LinnEEUs places this among the tviandria monogynia ; the threads in the flower being three, and the 
flyle from the rudiment of the fruit fingle. But he improperly joins it with the valerian ; whereas 
not only the habit and general afpetSl ot the plant perfectly differs, but the feed has no down ; which 
h an effential, determinate, and properly generical charafler. 
J. Common Lambs Lettuce. 
Vakrianella vulgaris cauie dichotomo. 
The root is fmall, oblong, and furniflied with 
a few fibres. 
The firfl: leaves rife in a clufl:er, and are of a 
faint pale green : they have no lootftalks: they 
are oblong, moderately broad, fmooth, undivi- 
ded at the edges, and rounded at the end. 
The ftalk is upright, weak, flender, and ten 
inches high : it runs up fingle about half its 
height, and there fplits into two parts ; and each 
of thefe divide again once or more in the fame 
manner ; fo that the top is fpreading and flat. 
The leaves ft;and in pairs ; and are oblong, 
and obtufe at the end ; they have no footfl:alks, 
and they are of a faint green. 
The flowers are very fmall, and white, with a 
flight tinge of blue: they fl:and in fmall, thick 
tufts at the to^'S of all the divifions of the ftalk. 
The feeds are fingle, fmall, and naked. 
It is common in corn-fields, and wiM in gar- 
dens. It flowers in May. 
C. Bauhine calls it Vcderimia cr.nipefiris inodora 
major. Others, Vakrianella, 'Latluca agimm^ and 
Loci'Jla. 
The young leaves are eaten in fallads, and have 
a pretty, but rather infipid tafte : they are very 
whole fo me. 
The leaves of this plant vary extremely : na- 
turally they are as here defcribed, undivided at 
the edges, and obtufe at the end ; but In a ftarved 
foil they will be narrower, fliarp-pointed, and fer- 
rated ; and fometlmes they are divided more 
deeply. Thefe, and other accidental varieties of 
a like kind, have been defcribed by authors as 
diftinift fpecies i but the fl:udent mufl; avoid thofe 
errors. 
2. Great-feeded Lambs Lettuce. 
Valerianella femine magna. 
Tlie root is fmall and fibrous. 
The fiift leaves are oblong, broad, obtufe, 
large, and of a pale green. 
The fl:a!k is a foot high, fllender, whitiflj, and 
upright, and divided at the top in the fame man- 
ner as in the common kind, always by jplitting 
into two. 
The leaves fi:and in pairs ; and diey are ob- 
long and fliarply ferrated, and of a faint green. 
The flowers fl:and in fmall, thick tufts, and 
are little and white, with a very flight tinge of 
blue. 
The feeds are fingle and large ; and they4iave 
a fwelled look ; one follows every flower. 
Ic is common in corn-fields, and flowers in 
July. ^ 
Morlfon calls it Valerlanell^e vulgaris fpecies ma- 
jor fcrotina ; and Kay takes the fame name. 
That author mentions alfo a fmall kind, with 
ferrated leaves ; but that, as we have obferved 
before, is only a variety. This is a diftinft fpe- 
cies. Tht whole afpetft and fize of the plant, 
and its late flowering, fliew this % and i: is con- 
firmed by the ihape, fize, and fwelled look of the 
feed, which is an abfoiute and invariable cha- 
racter. 
4 GENUS 
