PURPUREA. 
Fox-glove. 
Digitalis 
DIGITALIS 
DIGITALIS 
DIGITALIS 
DIGITALIS 
DIGITALIS 
DIGITALIS 
DIGITALIS 
LlnnaiGeti.Pl . Didynamia Angiospermia. 
Cal. 5-partitus. Cor. campanulata 5 -fida, ventricofa. Caps, ovata bilocularis. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 18. Herba; fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo. 
purpurea calycims foliolis ovatis acutis, corollis obtufis : labio ftperiore integro. Llm. Syjl. 
Vegetab. f. 570. Sp- Pl- p- 866 - 
follis calycinis ovatis, galea fimplici. Haller, hifi. p. 143- »• 3 3°« 
purpurea. Scopoli FI. Carniol. p. 447* n ' 7 8o ‘ 
purpurea folio afpero. p. 243. 
purpurea. Gerard, emac. 790. 
furfurea vulgaris. Parkinfin 1653. RaS. Syv. p .* a8 3 . Purple Fox-gfove. Budfin F/. 
Angi. p. 240. Oeder FI. Danlcon. 774. 
RADIX biennis, fibrofa. X 
CAULIS tripedalis ad orgyalem, fimplex, eredus, fo- | 
liofus, teres, pubefeens. _ | 
FOLIA ovato-acuta, ferrata, venofa, fubtus albida, pu- | 
befcentia ; Petioli breves, alati. * 
FLORES fpicati, nutantes, imbricati, fecundi. 
PEDUNCULI uniflori, pubefeentes, apice incraffati, 
perada florefeentia fuberedi. 
CALYX: Perianthium quinquepartitum, laciniis 0- ii 
vato-acuminatis, nervofis, fuprema anguftiore, : : 
fig. 1 . ■ ; 
COROLLA monopetala, fubcampanulata, purpurea, ■: 
interne ocellata ; tubus magnus, patens, deor- ;; 
Ium ventricofus, bafi cylindracea, arda; limbus : I 
parvus, quadrifidus, laciniil fuperiore integra, :: 
quali truncata, inferiore majore, inflexa. ; ; 
STAMINA : Filamenta quatitor bafi Corolla: inferta, 
alba, apice paululum latiora, bafi infrada, quo- 
rum duo longiora; Anthers primum magnae, 
turgidae, ovatae, bafi coadunatae, lutefcenteS, et 
faepe maculatae ; demum et forma et fitu mire 
mutantur, fig. 2, 3, 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen fubconicum, luteo-virens ; 
Stylus fimplex ; Stigma bifidum, fig. 5, 
6, 7. 
NECTARIUM Glandula bafin Germinis cingens, 
fig . 8 . 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula ovato-acuminata, bilocu- 
laris, bivalvis, valvula inferiore findente, fig. 9. 
SEMINA plurima, nigricantia, parva, utraque extremitate 
truncata, fig. 1 o. 
ROOT biennial and fibrous. 
STALK from three to fix feet high, Ample, upright, 
leafy, round, and pubelcent or downy. 
LExYVES of a painted oval fhape, ferrated, veiny, under- 
neath whitifh and pubefeent ; the Foot-stalks 
fhort and winged. 
FLOWERS growing in a fpike, pendulous, laying one 
over another all one way. 
PEDUNCLES fuftaining one flower, pubefeent, thick- 
eft at top, after the flower drops off, becoming 
nearly upright. 
CALYX : a Perianti-iium divided into five fegments, 
which are of an oval pointed fhape, and nervous, 
the uppermoft narrower than the reft, fig. 1 . 
COROLLA monopetalous, fomewhat bell-fhaped, pur- 
ple, and marked in the infide with little eyes ; 
the tube large, fpreading, bulging out back- 
wards; the bafe cylindrical, and as if it had 
been tyedwith a ligature ; the limb fmalland 
quadrifid, the upper fegment entire and as if 
cut ofF, the lower fegment larger and bent in. 
STAMINA : four Filaments inferted into the bottom 
of the Corolla, white, a little broadeft at top, 
crooked at bottom, two long and two fhort ; 
ANTHERJEat firft large, turgid, oval, touch- 
ing at bottom, of a yellowifh colour and often 
fpotted ; laftly changing both their form and 
fituation in a lingular manner, fig. 2, 3, 4. 
PISTILLUM : Germen rather conical, of a yellow 
green colour; Style Ample; Stigma bifid, 
./’>■ 3, 6, 7. 
NECTARY a Gland furrounding the bottom of the 
Germen, fig. 8. 
SEED-VESSEL: a pointed oval Capsule, of two ca- 
vities and two valves, the lowermoft valve 
fplitting in two, fig. 9. 
SEEDS numerous, blackifh, fmall, as if cut off at 
each end, fig. 10. 
Was it not that we are too apt to treat with negled the beautiful plants of our own country, merely becaufe 
they are common and eafily obtained, the ftately and elegant Fox-glove would much oftener be the pride of our 
gardens than it is at prefent ; for it is not only peculiarly ftriking at a diftance, but its flowers and their feveral parts 
become beautiful in proportion to the nearnels of our view : Plow Angularly and how regularly do tire blofloms hang 
one over another ! How delicate are the little fpots which ornament the infide of the flower ! and like the wings of 
fome of our fmall Butterflies fmile at every attempt of the Painter to do them juftice : how pleafing is it to behold 
the nettling Bee hide itfelf in its pendulous blofloms ! while extracting its fweets which furnifh our tables with honey, 
and our manufacturers with wax : nor are the more interior parts of the flower lefs worthy of our admiration, 
or lefs adapted to the improvement of the young Botanift : here all the parts of the fructification being large, he will 
readily obtain a diftinCt idea of them ; but more particularly of the form of the Anther®, and the alteration which 
takes place in them, previous to and after the difcharge of the Pollen, vid. fig. 3, 4. 
The flowers of this plant are in general of a fine purple colour, and like all other purple flowers are liable to varia- 
tions ; fometimes we find the blofloms of a milk white or cream colour, and forae other varieties of it are mentioned 
by Ray, but the white is the moft common. Such as would with to cultivate it, may raifeit either from feed, which 
is very fmall for the fize of the plant, or from young plants. It grows naturally in a dry and gravelly foil, and in fuch 
fituations ■ is common enough over moft parts of England ; about Charlton-Wood it is very plentiful, and flowers in 
July and Auguft. 
According to the teftimony of many writers, the juice or decoCtion of this plant taken inwardly, ads as an emetic 
and purgative, and that too with confiderable violence; hence Mr. Ray very properly advifes it to be given to fuch 
only as have robuft conftitutions. Parkinson affirms that it is very efficacious in the cure of the Epilcpfy ; but he 
unites with it in his prefeription Polypody of the Oak, fo that there is no knowing to which of the plants the merit of 
curing this ftubborn difeafe is due. 
The flowers or herb either bruifed or made into an ointment, are ftrongly recommended in Schrophulous tumours and 
ulcers ; and fo great an opinion have the Italians of its virtues as a vulnerary, that they have the following proverb 
concerning it. “ Aralda tutte le piaghe falda." Fox-glove cures all wounds. Raii Hi/l. Platit. 
