﻿growing, when supported, to the height of many feet. Branches 

 alternate, the younger ones purplish. Leaves pointed, alternate, on 

 leafstalks, generally smooth ; the lower ones egg-shaped or heart- 

 shaped ; the upper ones more or less perfectly halberd-shaped ; 

 all entire at the margin. Flowers in branched clusters, either op- 

 posite to the leaves or terminal, sometimes on the opposite side 

 between two leaves (pedunculus intemodis) , see the plate. Bracteas 

 minute. Corolla purple, deeply 5-cleft, the segments reflexed, 

 with 2 round, green spots at the base of each. Anthers large, 

 yellow, upright, united into a kind of cone. Dr. Withering 

 observes, that the anthers on the first opening of the blossom are 

 readily separable, but that afterwards growing dryer, they sooner 

 tear than be disjoined. Berry egg-shaped, bright red, glossy, 

 bitter, and poisonous. The Flowers are sometimes flesh-coloured, 

 rarely white. 



Ray and Hudson mention a hairy variety as growing on the 

 southern coast of England ; and on the 4th of J uly, 1 834, I ob- 

 served a variety, very common in a hedge bounding a plantation 

 about half a mile below the Spaw at Dorton, the stems and leaves 

 of which were so closely covered with fine white hairs, as to give 

 the whole plant a very hoary appearance. 



The white-flowered variety has been noticed about Glasgow by 

 Mr. Hopkiuk : it is also occasionally met with about Oxford ; my 

 daughter Ruth brought me a specimen of this variety in flower, on 

 the 14th of July last, which she gathered in a hedge by the side of 

 the footpath between Oxford and South Hinksey. 



The root and young branches of the Dulcamara , in the form of 

 a decoction, much diluted with milk, have been recommended in 

 scrophulous or glandular obstructions. 



The Berries are tempting to children, and poisonous ; though not 

 so much so as those of Atropa Belladonna , t. 10. 



Sheep and goats eat the plant ; horses, cow's, and swine refuse it. 



The active principle of Solanum Dulcamara is an alkali, called 

 Solania, which is, in that plant, combinedwith malic acid. Turner. 



THE NIGHT-SHADE. 



Tread aside from my starry bloom ! 



1 am the nurse, who feed the tomb 

 ( The tomb, my child) with dainties piled, 



Until it grows strong as a tempest wild. 



Trample not on a virgin flower! 



1 am the maid of the midnight hour; 



1 bear sweet sleep, to those who weep, 



And lie on their eyelids dark and deep. 



Tread not thou on my snaky eyes ! 



1 am the worm that the weary prize, 



The Nile’s soft asp, that they strive to grasp, 



And one that a queen has loved to clasp ! 



Pity me ! 1 am she, whom man. 



Hath hated since ever the world began ; 



1 soothe his brain, in the night of pain. 



But at morning he waketh, — and all is vaiu ! 



Barry Cornwall. 



