ILLE'CEBRrM VERTICILLATEM. 
WHOKLEU KNOTGRASS. 
Class. 
PENTANDRU. 
Order. 
MONOGYN14. 
Natural Order. 
ILI.ECEBRACEA!. 
Native of 
Hei"hl. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Inhabits 
Englaiul 
3 inches. 
July, Aug. 
Annual. 
Boggy ])la. 
No. 1026. 
Pliny mentions the name lllecebra, as used by the 
Italians; from whom we derive our generic name 
Tllecebrum, signifying enticing, or pretty. The 
Italians, it would appear, applied it to a species of 
Sedum; but the imperfect descriptions, given by 
ancient botanists, leave us, in most instances, 
doubtful of the identity of their plants. 
This is a scarce little annual, erroneously called 
perennial by some writers ; an error which has been 
perpetuated by subsequent copying. It is a native 
of the west of England, but we believe rarely met 
wdth, although Withering intimates the contrary. 
The milder districts of the European continent 
are its natural habitat, where it is frequent, in 
rather marshy places. Ireland, too, claims it as 
one of her children, — an inhabitant of the moun- 
tains, near Dublin. 
The lllecebiTim ve.ticillatum, requires merely to 
be once sown on peat soil, that retains a good por- 
tion of dampness, and here it rvill luxuriate, flower, 
and sow itself ; so as to I'equire no further care 
than thinning in the spring; retaining only the 
quantity of plants that are necessary. 
