Hot. 1. 1772.— Curt. FI. T.oml. t. 329.-I.inn. Sp. PI. p 1261— IIu.ls. 
FI. Angl. (2ml eil.) p. 373. — Willd. Sp. I’l. v. iii. pt. in. p.2181. — Sm. FI. Brit, 
v. ii. p. 906. ; KijrI. FI. v. iii. p. 458. — Wnli. (7rli oil) v. iii. p. 954. —Hook. 
Blit. FI. p. 367. — Liglitf. FI. Scot. v. i. p. 495. — Sibtli. FI. Oxon. p. 259 — Abb. 
FI. ISeilt. p. 186. — Davies’ Welsh. Bot. p. 81. — Purl. Midi. FI. v. ii. p.397. — 
Belli. FI. Cant. (3rd edit.) p. 351. — Hook. FI. Scot, p.247. — Grev. FI. Filin, 
p. 182. — FI. Devon, pp. 141 & 161. — U inch's FI. of Nortbunib. and Dorb.p.55. 
— Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p.248.— Irv. l.oml. FI. p. 154. — Cow. FI. of K. Kent, 
p. 21. — Mack. Catal. PI. lrel. p. 75. ; FI. llibetn. p. 152 .—Manila foctida, 
Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 456. — Lindl. Svn. p. 150. — Macr. Man. Brit. Boi. p. 
129. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 26. — CAamcemetum fcetidum, Hay’s Syn. p. 185. — 
Cotula fcetida, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 757. 
Localities. — In waste places, corn-fields, dunghills, and by road sides; 
common. 
Annual. — Flowers in June, July, and August. 
Root tapering, with branched fibres. Stem upright, from I to 2 
feet high, branched, leafv, angular and furrowed, smooth, solid. 
Leaves alternate, sessile, bright green, smooth, or slightly hairy, 
doubly pinnatifid, and cut ; the segments narrow, flat, a little 
succulent, spreading and rather distant, not crowded or parallel, 
somewhat bristle-pointed. Flowers solitary, on upright, terminal, 
finely grooved, slightly downy stalks. Involucrum (fig. 1 .) more 
or less hairy, its scales nearly equal, blunt, pale green, their 
margins brown, scarcely membranous. Disk (fig. 3.) convex, its 
■florets (fig. 4.) lemon-coloured, rather longer, when expanding, 
than the slender bristle-shaped, or awl-shaped, greenish scales at 
their base (see fig. 3). Florets of the ray (fig. 5.) white, elliptical, 
3-toothed, bent back close to the stalk at night, and continuing in 
that state till morning. Seeds (fig. 8.) inversely egg-shaped, 
bluntly 4-comered, brown, wrinkled, or sometimes rough with 
minute tubercles, without any border or crown, but terminated by 
a simple pore. Receptacle (fig. 7.) nearly cylindrical, beset on the 
upper part, with slender, permanent, chaff-like scales. 
The florets of the ray have been observed to vary much in 
length and breadth, and it has sometimes been found with all the 
florets strap-shaped. 
The whole plant has a fetid smell, and is said to blister the hands 
of the reapers, or of others who may happen to gather it. If it be 
examined with a microscope, it will be found to be sprinkled all 
over with little glands, in which the acrid matter most probably 
resides. It is a strong and active bitter : a decoction given in the 
dose of a tea-cup full, will produce copious vomiting and perspira- 
tion ; and powerfully promotes the action of an emetic. Its reputed 
efficacy in rheumatism is owing to its sudorific effect. 
Toads are said to be partial to this plant ; but it is very ungrate- 
ful and displeasing to bees. According to the observations of 
Linn>eus, goats and sheep are not fond of it ; horses, cows, and 
swine refuse it. 
It is one of those troublesome weeds which sometimes over-run 
cornfields to that degree, as greatly to diminish the crop ; it ought, 
therefore, to be extirpated with great diligence. See Curt. FI. Load., 
and With. Dot. Jlrr. 
