452 
The BRITISH HERBAL. 
GENUS IX. 
BUTTER-BUR. 
PETASITES. 
'TpHE flower is compofed of numerous flofcules, ranged in a common cup. This is of a cylindric 
figure i and is formed of about twenty little, fofc leaves. The flofcules are tubular; and the 
flowers Hand in a fplke upon ftalks, which rife before the leaves, 
Linn^us places this with the reft among the [jngmefia. 
1. Common Butter-Bur. 
Petafites vulgaris. 
The root is long, thick, and creeping ; of a 
ftrong fmell, and bitter, aromatick tafte. 
The flower-ftalks rife before the leaves ; and 
they are thick, ftnatcd, tender, and of a pale 
fiefh-colour, not at all branched, and about a 
foot high. 
The flowers are fmall, and ftand in a long, 
loofe fpike at the top of the ftalk : they are of a 
pa!e flelh-colour. 
The leaves appear foon after, and grow to an 
enormous fize : they are roundilh, and of a deep 
green on the upper-fide, but whitifh underneath 
and they are placed on thick, whitilh, hollowed 
footftalks. 
It is common in rich wet foils, and flowers 
in April. 
C. Bauhine calls it Petafites major et vulgaris. 
Others only Petafites, 
The root is a very powerful cordial and fudo- 
rifick. An infufion of ic is excellent in malignant 
fevers. 
2. Butter-Bur, with longfootftalks to the flowers. 
Petafites floribus fediculis longis infidentibus. 
The root is large and fpreading. 
The flialks fupporting the flowers are two feet 
high, thick, whitifli, juicy, and covered with 
flight membranes. 
The flowers have iongfootfl:a!ks ; and they are 
numerous, and form a long, loofc fpike: their 
colour is a pale red. 
The leaves are very large, of a pale green 
above, and they have very little whitenefs below. 
It grows in meadows with us, not uncommon, 
and flowers in April. 
Ray calls it Petafites major floribus pedkuUs lon- 
gioribus infidentibus. The old authors did not 
know it. 
G E N U S X. 
PLOWMAN'S SPIKENARD. 
B A C C H A R I S. 
rpHE flower is compofed of numerous fiofculcs, ranged in a common cup ; and this is iliort, 
J- thiclt, and rounded. The fcales compofing it are numerous, and they ftand feparate at the 
points. The flofcules are fmall and tubular, and the leaves of the plant are undivided. 
Linn^us places this with the reft among the f^ngenefta. 
Common Plowman's Spikenard. 
Baccbaris vulgaris. 
The root is long, thick, divided, and fpreading. 
The ftalk is a yard high, firm, round, brown- 
ifh, and divided into numerous branches. 
The leaves are large, oblong, broad, of a dufky 
green, and undivided. 
The flowers are naked, fmall, and of a dulky 
yellow. 
It is common in dry, wafte grounds, and flowers 
in July. 
C. Bauhine calls it Conyza major •vulgaris. 
Others, Baccharis MsnfyeHciifium. 
The whole plant has a fragrant fmell. 
It is a powerful diurttick, and excellent againft 
the gravel. It is beft taken in infufion. 
GENUS XI. 
HEMP-AGRIMONY. 
EUPATORIVM. 
THE flower is compofed of numerous flofcules, arranged in a common cup. This is oblong, 
and confifts of many narrow, pointed fcales, laid over one another. The flofcules are tubu- 
lar, and divided into five fegments at the edge. 
Linnxus places this with the others among the fyngenefia, the buttons coalefcing in a cylinder. 
D I V I- 
