Foreign Vegetables. 59 
2. Ncirdus Celtica ; Spica Celtica , Spica Gallica , 
Spica Romcina , Off. xeAtix?]' olxixyyiz, Diojc . 
Saliunca , Plin. Alnardin Alfimbel Alkeliti aut Alkelt , 
Alfimbel alrumi , &///V Nard or French Spike- 
nard is a fibrous, capillaceous Root, of a reddifh 
Colour, with Leaves or fmall Squamm# of a yel- 
lowifb green Colour, of an acrid, bitteriffi, aro- 
matick Tafte, and a ftrong, fragrant Smell. For 
Ufe it ought to be freffi, of a good Scent, with a 
great Number of fibrous Roots, full, and not brit- 
tle. It had the Name of Celtic Nard, becaufe it 
was formerly got upon the Mountains in that Part 
of France which was called Gallia Celtica. But at 
this Time it is alfo found upon the Stirian Alps, 
and upon the Hills of Liguria. 
The Plant to which it belongs is the Valeriana 
Celtica , Inft. R. H. Nardus Celtica Diofcoridis , C. 
B. P. Nardus Alpina , Clus. The whole Plant has 
an aromatick Scent, much like the Valeriana Syl - 
veftris. Clujius tells us it flowers in the Month 
of Auguft , when the Alps are almoft covered with 
Snow. 
Celtic Nard has the fame Virtues with the Indiana 
but is reckoned more efficacious for provoking 
Urine, {Lengthening the Stomach, and difcuffing 
Flatulencies. 
A R T I C. XIX. Of Z E D O A R Y. 
We find no Mention of Zedoary either in Diof- 
corides or Galen. The Arabians ufed it in Medi- 
cines, and fome of them, as Serapio and Razes , 
confound it with Zerumbeth, which is the Root of 
the Zingiber latifolium fylvejlre of Herman : And 
though Avicenna , who had better informed himfelf, 
makes Zerumbeth a different Root, allowing be- 
fides two Species of Zedoary *, yet the Defcriptions 
which 
