34^ 
The B R I T I S li HERBAL. 
GENUS VII. 
13 U li N E r. 
S A N G U I S O R B A 
t-fUR flower is con^pofcd of a flnglc peul, deeply divided into four fegments : tliefe are broad, 
and obtufe at the end, narrow at the bafe, snd united only at their very bottoms ; fo that the 
fiowLT, to an incurious obferver. would Teem to have four petals. The cup is compofed of two 
fmaii leaves : thefe are Hiort and brc^ad : they (land oppofite to one another, and they fall with the 
flower. The feed is fingle, naked, and roundiQi, and has a double kernel. 
I.innn^us places this among tlie tetrandria mcnog^nla ; the threads in the flower being four, and the 
ftyle irom the rudiment of the iruit being fingle. 
1. Common Burriet. 
Snvgiuforba i-iil^nris. 
The root is long, thick, and furniflicd with 
many fibres. 
The firft leaves are long, and very beautifully 
pinnated i each is ctmipoled of fix or more pairs 
of pinntK, with an oS one at the end and thefe 
are ihort, broad, ferrated, and Iharp- pointed.. 
Their colour is a beautiful green. 
The ttalk is Hender, upright, and toward the 
top it is divided into feveral branches : the leaves 
on it are hke thofe from the root, each compofed 
of feveral pairs of dentated pinna;, with an odd 
one at the end. 
The flowers are placed in fmal! oblong heads 
at the tops of the brandies : thefe heads are 
brown, but the Howcrs themfelves are of a faint 
purple. 
The feeds are fmall and cornered. 
It is common by road-fides, and in hilly paf- 
tures. It flowers in June. 
C. Bauhine calls it Sanguiforha mi.?tor. Others, 
Pimpinella vulgaris^ and Fimpinella fcnguiforba mi- 
nor. 
2. Great Burnet. 
Sangiiiforha major. 
The root is compofed of numerous thick fibres. 
The firfl; leaves are large and pinnated : each 
is compofed of three or four pairs of pinnse, with 
an odd one at the end ; and thefe are oblong, 
moderately broad, and fliarp-pointed, ferrated at 
the edges, and of a deep green. 
The ftalk is upright, flender, branched, and 
two feet high. 
The leaves on this refcmble thofe from the 
root 1 but they are fmaller. 
The flowers ftand at the tops of the branches 
in fliort oblong heads: they are of a very fainc 
and dull purplifii colour ; and the heads are 
brown between them. 
The feeds are fmall and cornered. 
It is common in paftures, and flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Sanguifcrha jmjcr. 
Thefe two fpecies have the fame general qua- 
lities ; but the firll poflefles them in the greater 
degree. It is a cordial and ludorifick : it was 
much ufed formerly to give a flavour to wine^ 
but it is now negle(^ed. 
It is an aftringent of confiderable power. The 
root dried and powdered fl;ops purgings j or it 
may be given in form of a llrong decoflion to the 
fame purpofe. The juice of the leaves is good 
againfl h.Tmorrhages. 
GENUS VIII. 
MEADOW-RUE. 
f n A L I C f li U M. 
^HE flower is compofed of four petals : they arc rot.ndilTi, and hoilowcd, and are of fhorc dura- 
' tion There is no cup. The i'eed is fingle after every flower, and it is ftirrounded by a rough 
rinkled fldn The leaves are divided into many parts, and the flowers grow in cluftcrs. 
Linnseus places this among the polyandna folysynia ; the threads in the flower being numerous, and 
■owing to the receptacle ; and the ftyles from the rudiment of the ieed alfo numerous. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
I. Common Meadow-Rue. 
^JhnljBrum uulgare. 
The- root is compofed of innumerable long, 
thick, and fpreading libres. 
The fl:.Jk is firm, upright, flriated, purplifh 
toward the bottom,, and three feet high. 
The leaves are large, and very beautifully divi- 
.dedor compofed of numerous fmall parts, placed 
on feparate fliort footftalks, on a large divided 
rib : thefe- are notched at the edges, efpecially to . 
ward the points ; and are of a bluifti green, but 
deep and dufky. 
The flowers are fmall and whitifli : they ftand 
in great cluQers on the fl:alks. 
The feeds are brown. 
It is common in meadows, and flowers in 
July- 
C. Bauhine 
