p. 69.— Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 41.— Thomps. PI. of Berw. p. 22.— Davies' Welsh 
Bot. p. 20. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 109.— Relh FI. Cant. (3rd edit.) p. 81.— Hook. 
FI. Scot. p. 69.— Grev. FI. Edin. p 45. — FI. Devon, pp. 34 & 151. — Johnst. FI. 
Berw. v. i. p. 53. — Winch’s FI. of Northumb. and Durh. p. 12.— Walker’s FI. of 
Oxf. p. 49.— Murr. North. FI. p. 120.— Bab. FI. Bath. p. 33.; Prim. FI. Sam. p, 
63 — Irv. Lond. FI. p. 137.— I.uxf. Reig FI. p. 17.— Baines’ FI. of Yorksli. p. 67.— 
Leighl. FI Shvopsh p. 100.— Gull. PI of Banb. p. 5.— Beesl. Hist, of Banb. p. 584. 
— Mack. Catal PI. of Irel. p. 21. ; FI. Hibern. p. 171. — Cynoglossum, Ray’s Syn. 
p. 226. — Cynoglossum mnjus vulgare, Bauh Pin. p. 257. — Johns. Ger. p. 804. 
with a figure. — Park. Theatr. Bot. p. 511, with a figure. 
Localities. — In waste ground, and by road-sides; more or less common in 
most counties in ENGLAND ; more rare in SCOTLAND. 
Biennial. — Flowers in May and June. 
Root fleshy, tapering, as thick as the finger or thumb, and from 
6 inches to a foot or more long, blackish on the outside, whitish 
within, Stem 2 or 3 feet high, upright, branched, very leafy, 
furrowed, downy. Root-leaves 8 or 10 inches long, and 4 or 5 broad, 
nearly elliptical, on long petioles; stem-leaves much smaller, lower 
ones strap-spear-shaped, tapering at the base ; upper ones sessile, 
wavy, spear-shaped, broadest at the base, all entire, with a strong 
mid-rib, and several lateral veins, and clothed on both sides with a 
silky down, which gives them a greyish colour. Clusters of flowers 
( racemes ) terminating the. stem and branches, hoary and downy. 
Flowers small, on short, downy, partial stalks, which are a little 
elongated after flowering, and all turned to one side. Bracteas 
none. Segments of the Calyx oblong, eonnivent. Corolla of a 
dull crimson, its valves purplish. Nuts ( carpels, Don, seeds, 
LiNN.y (see tigs. 7 to 10.) egg-shaped, depressed, densely clothed 
with curiously barbed prickles, which are broad at tbe base, and 
taper upwards (see fig. 13). Seeds (see fig. 11.) single, smooth, 
somewhat egg-shaped, pointed. 
The whole herb is downy, and very soft to the touch, of a dull green colour, 
with a disagreeable smell, like most of the species, much resembling that of mice. 
It is a native of Asia, Africa, and North America, as well as of Europe, in waste 
places, and by way-sides and margins of fields, and particularly near towns. 
It is reported to be deleterious, and the dingy lurid appearance of its leaves, 
peculiar to poisonous herbs of the narcotic kind, seems to favour ihe opinion ; 
nor are facts wanting to confirm it. Morison, in his Historia Plant. Oxon. 
v. iii. p. 450, relates that a whole family at Oxford, who, by mistake, eat the 
boiled leaves of this plant for those of Comfiey ( Symphytum officinale, t 101.), 
were soon afterwards all seized with vomiting, stupor, sleepiness, & c., which 
symptoms continued alternately for almost forty hours, and with such severity, 
that one person died. Ray, however, says that Dr. Hulse frequently used a 
decoction of the roots for internal use, and at the same time applied them out- 
wardly as a poultice to scrophulous tumours with safety and advantage; hence 
it appears that this part of the plant at least cannot be considered as an active 
poison. Jt is now discarded from common practice. Ligiitfoot says, that no 
quaJruped except the goat will eat this plant; and we are told by I\I. Borfux, 
that if it is gathered when in full vigour, bruised with a hammer, and laid in any 
place frequented by rats and mice, they will immediately forsake the premises. 
The Caterpiller of the Scarlet Tyger Moth ( Phalcena Dominula, Linn. ; 
Callimorpha Dominula, Li ach), feeds on this plant. 
It is sometimes found with a while flower. 
