39« 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
G E N S V. 
WOODRUFF E. 
A S P E RU L A. 
THE flower Is formed of a fingle petal. The lower part is faniioned Into a fonicwiiat long tube 
and ilie edge is I'prcad our, and divi>.!ed into four niirrow fegmtrnis ; which arc ubior.g, pointed, 
and turned backwa ds. Tlic^ cup is fmal!, and divii!ed into four parts at the rim ; and it ftaiids 
upon the ruciiment of the Iruit. 'I'he feeds are two alter every flower ; and they are covered with a 
loofe fkin, and grow together. 
Linn^us places this among the tetrandria mon:gyn:a ; the threads in the flower bein'^ four, and the 
ftylc Angle. 
DIVISION I. BRITISH SPECIES. 
Wood ruffe. 
Afcrula vulgaris. 
The root is fibrous, and fpreading. 
The flialk is fquare, upright:, not much 
branched, and eight inches high : it is of a pali; 
green, and of a tender fubftance. 
The leaves are pliced at the joints in a fl:el- 
lated manner, a confiderable number together ; 
and they are long, narrow, fiiarp pointed, imooth, 
and of a dark green. 
The flowers are fmall, whire, and of a very 
fragrant fmtll : they grow in tults, almoft in the 
manner of umbells, on the tops of the ftalks. 
The feeds are large and round. 
It is common in our woods, and flowers in 
May. 
C. Bauhine calls it Afpcrtda feu rulcolu Mon- 
tana odora. Others, Afpcrula odorata. 
It is good againfl; obfirufbions of the vifccra ; 
but it is not in ufe. 
DIVISION II. FOREIGN SPECIES. 
Blue WoodrufFe. 
^fperida cxrulea. 
The root is compofed of numerous fibres. 
The fl:alk is fquare, upright, and a foot and 
half high 1 it is of a pale green, and not much 
branched. 
The leaves are placed in the ftellate manner at 
the joints feveral together : they are long, nar- 
row, and of a pale green ; and rhcy are a iictle 
hairy. 
The flowers arc fir.all and blue : they fl:and in 
a little tuft at the top of the ftalk ; and tiiey are 
furrounded by a fcries of leaves which rife above 
them, and in a manner hide them. 
The feeds are large and brown. 
It is common in the corn-fields of Italy, and 
flowers in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Afperida cm-ulca cirvenfis. 
Others, Afperula dcridea. 
Its virtues are the fame with thofe of the 
former. 
G E N U S VI. 
CLEAVERS. 
A P A R I N E. 
THE flowei' IS formed of a fingle petal ; and is divided almofl: to'the bafe kito four fegments The 
cup is very Imall : it is formed alfo of a fingle piece, divided into four parts ; and°it ftands on 
the rudiment of the fruit. The feeds are large and roundifh, with a dent in the middle ; and they 
are covered feparately with a loofe, rough fkin, and grow together. 
Linnsus places this among thi: peiilandi ia mmogynia; the threads in the flower being five, and the 
ftyle fingle. ° ' 
In his Genera Plmtarum he makes it a diftinft genus i but in his fpecies, fince publiflied he ioins ir 
with the idhum, taking away its old generieal name : but this is wrong, for the plant is fufficientlv dif 
tincf by the form of the feeds ; and the old name is better preferved. 
1. Common Cleavers. 
Aparine vulgaris. 
The root is fiender, and creeping. 
The ftalks are numerous, fquare, of a pale 
whitifh green, and two feet or more in length : 
they ufually rife among buflies ; and they flick to 
every thing they touch, olhcrwife they would not 
be able to fupport themfelves upright. They are 
not much branched: they are covered with rough, 
hooked hairs. ' 
The leaves are long, narrow, and of a pale 
green : there grow about fix of them at every 
joint, difpofed like the rays of a flar. 
The flowers arc fmall and white : the feeds are 
round, double, and included in rough, loofe fkins. 
It 
