8 inches or mole long, square, leafy, and clothed, especially on the 
angles, with numerous, short, bristly hairs, which point backwards^ 
Leaves verticillate, 6 in a whorl, those on the upper part of the 
stems elliptic-spear-shaped, the lower ones shorter, broader, and 
nearly egg-shaped, all entire, pointed, and rough, especially on the 
edges and keel, with white bristly hairs, which are longer than 
those on the stem. Flowers in small, nearly sessile umbels, termi- 
nating the stems and branches, .each umbel accompanied by an 
involucrum of about 8 leaves. Calyx with 6 teeth, permanent, 
crowning the fruit. Corolla slender, of a pale purplish-blue. 
Anthers tawny. Stigmas capitate. Fruit of 2 globular, closely 
combined seeds (mericarps of Don,/, rough with very minute 
bristles, and crowned with the somewhat enlarged calyx. 
This little plant has much the habit of a Galium, but it is readily 
distinguished from that genus by the fruit being crowned by the 
calyx. 
It was named Sherardia by Dillenius, in honour of his friend Dr. William 
Sherard. This distinguished patron of botanical science was a native of Bushby 
in Leicestershire ; he was born in 1659, and after passing through Merchant Taylor’s 
School, he entered St. John’s College, Oxford, in 1677 ; of this college he after- 
wards became a Fellow, and took the degree of Bachelor of Arts, December 11, 1683. 
After this time he travelled much on the Continent ; chiefly occupied in collecting 
plants, and in forming connexions with the most celebrated foreign Botanists of the 
day; such as Herman, Boerhaave, and Tournefort. He is said to have been 
the author of a book published under the name of Samuel Wharton, entitled, 
" Schola Botanica being a Catalogue of Plants exhibited by Tournefort to 
his botanical class at Paris for several years, during a part of which Sherard at- 
tended his lectures. He also edited Herman’s “ Paradisus Batavus.” Soon 
after 1702 he was appointed consul at Smyrna. During his residence there he had 
a country house at a place called Sedekio ; here he collected specimens of all the 
plants of Natolia and Greece, and began that famous Herbarium, which at length 
became the most extensive that had ever been seen as the work of one man. On 
his return he met with the celebrated Dillenius, whom he induced to accompany 
him to England in 1721; and in the year 1726 he commenced his designs for the 
advancement of Botany at Oxford, by giving £ 500 towards enlarging the Conser- 
vatory; and by presenting a great number of curious plants and a library of botanical 
works to the same establishment. He likewise made over to the Physic Garden his 
Herbarium, which rendered Oxford, in the eyes of Linn ajus, pre-eminent among 
the Universities of Europe for its botanical treasures ; and which Sir J. E. Smith, 
only 16 years ago, pronounced as perhaps, excepting that of Linnaeus in his own 
possession, the most ample, authentic, and valuable botanical record in the world. 
He died August 12, 1728 ; and by his will bequeathed £ 3000 to provide a salary 
for the Professor of Botany, on condition that the University should supply the 
annual sum of £ 150 towards the maintenance of the Garden, and that Dr. Dille- 
nics should be chosen the first professor. 
Dr. James Sherard, the younger brother of Dr. William Sherard, was early 
and strongly attached to his brother’s favourite pursuit, and cultivated, at his country 
seat, at Eltham, in Kent, one of the richest gardens that England ever produced. 
This was also the retirement of his brother the consul, after his return from Smyrna ; 
and it is immortalized by the publication, in 1732, of Dillenius’s “ Hortus 
Elthamensis ;” an elegant and elaborate work, in 2 volumes folio, in which are de- 
scribed and figured, with the most circumstantial accuracy, 417 plants, all drawn 
and etched by Dillenius himself, consisting principally of such exotics as were 
then rare, or had been but lately introduced into England. Coloured copies of this 
work are extremely rare ; one, coloured by Dillenius, is in the Library of the 
Oxford Botanic Garden, — See Memorials of Oxford; and Pulteney’s Sketches. 
