L I G 
Hales, in his treatife on that -head, does, upon the 
query put by Sir Ifaac Newton [“ Are not grofs bo~ 
“ dies and Light convertible into one another ? And 
« may not bodies receive much of their adlivity 
« from the particles of Light which enter their com- 
« pofition ? The change of bodies into Light, and 
« of Light into bodies, is very conformable to the 
“ courfe of nature, which feems delighted with tranf- 
« mutations, 55 ] add this query, “ And may not 
« Light alfo, by freely entering the expanded fur- 
« faces of leaves and flowers, contribute much to the 
« ennobling the principles of vegetables ?” 
That Light has been found to be of infinite fervice 
- to the growth of vegetables, has been fully proved 
by many experiments: i. By painting the walls of 
the infi.de of a green-houfe black, whereby there will 
be no refledted rays of Light, when the weather be- 
comes fo cold, as that the fhutters to the windows 
have been obliged to be kept fhut a few days, the 
leaves of thofe plants which have been placed therein 
have dropped off. 
And plants which have been placed in dark rooms, 
have been found to do the fame. The earthing up 
plants to blanch them, whereby they become tender, 
and better for ufe ; yet if thefe are not ufed, when 
properly blanched, will foon decay : the like will 
happen if plants are covered clofe, fo as no Light 
can come to them, they will foon grow pale and 
ficken, and afterward decay. 
How much the fine racy flavour of fruits is owing 
to Light is hard to fay, but from a few experiments 
it appears, moft of their rich juices are beholden to 
Light for their excellence ; therefore we may truly 
aver, that Light is as neceffary to promote vegeta- 
tion as for animal oeconomy. 
LIGUSTICUM. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 323. tab. 
171. Lin. Gen. Plant. 308. [takes its name of Ligu- 
ria, becaufe this plant, in old time, grew in greateft 
plenty near a river of Genoa) called Liguria.] Lo- 
, yage ; in French) Liveche . 
The Characters are, 
'It hath an umbellated flower . The general umbel is com- ' 
fofled of fever al fmaller , which are alfo compofed of other 
yet f nailer . The general umbel has an involucrum com- 
pofed of fever unequal leaves. The periemthium of the 
flower is indented in five parts , fitting upon the germen. 
The flower hath five equal petals , which are inflexed at 
their points , and keel-fhaped within. It hath five hairy 
flamina , which are jhorter than the petals , terminated by 
fmple fummits. The germen , which is ftuated under the 
flower , fupports two fmple flyles, crowned by fmple flig- 
mas. The germen afterward turns to an oblong fruit , di- 
vided into two parts , which is angular and channelled , 
containing two oblong finooth feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fecond fedlion 
of Linnaeus’s fifth clafs, which contains thofe plants 
‘whofe flow'ers have five flamina and two flyles. 
The Species are, 
1. Ligusticum (. Levifiicum ) foliis multiplicibus, foiiolis 
fuperne incifis. Hort. Cliff. 97. Lovage with many 
leaves , whofe lobes are cut outward toward the top. Le- 
vifiicum vulgare. Mor. Hift. 3. p. 275. Common 
Lovage. 
2. Ligusticum ( Scoticum ) foliis biternatis. Lin. Sp. 
plant. 250. Lovage with double trifoliate leaves Li- 
c fticun, Scoticum Apii folio. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 
324. Scotch Lovage with a Smallage leaf. 
3. Ligusticum ( Auflriacum ) foliis bipinnatis, foiiolis 
confluentibus incifis integerrimis. Lin. Sp. 360. Lo- 
vage with double winged leaves , whofe lobes run together , 
and have entire fegments. Ligufticum cicutre folio 
giabrum. Tourn. Inft. R. H. 323. Lovage with a 
jmooth Hemlock leaf. 
4. Ligusticum ( ’Lucidum ) foliis pinnatifidis, foiiolis li- 
nearibus planis. Lovage with wing-pointed leaves , whofe 
lobes are very narrow and plain. Ligufticum Pyrenai- 
cum, foenicuii folio lucidum. Tourn. Inft. 324. Lo- 
vage of the Pyrenees , with a Jhining Fennel leaf. 
-g. Ligusticum fP eloponnafacum) foliis multiplicato- 
pinnatisj foiiolis pinnatim incifis. Lin. Sp. 36. Lo- 
L i G 
vage with leaves many times winged , and lobes cut Hki 
wings. Cicutarialatifolia fostida. C. B. P. 161. Broad- 
leaved , finking , Baft dr d Hemlock \ . 1 
The firft fort is the common Lovage of the (hops •„ 
this was formerly cultivated in the kitchen- gardens as 
an efculent herb, but has been long difufed as iliehin 
England. It grows naturally upon the Appenines, 
and alfo near the river Liguria not far from Genoa ; 
this hath a ftrong, flefhy, perennial root, which ftrikes 
deep into the ground, and is compofed of many ftrong 
flefhy fibres covered with a brown (kin, and .has a 
ftrong; hot, aromatic fmell and tafte. The leaves are 
large, winged, and compofed of many large lobes 
fhaped like thofe of Smallage, but are larger, and of 
a deeper green. The lobes toward the top are cut 
into acute fegments. The ftalks rife to the height 
of fix or feven feet •, they are large and channelled, 
dividing into feveral branches, each being terminated 
by a large umbel of yellow flowers, which are fuc- 
ceeded by oblong ftriated feeds. It flowers in June 
and July, and the feeds ripen in autumn. 
This is eafily propagated by feeds, which ftiould be 
fown in autumn foon after they are ripe *, for when 
they are kept out of the ground till fpring, they fel- 
dom grow the firft year ; when the plants come up 
and are fit to remove, they may be transplanted into 
a moift rich border, at about three feet diftance from 
each other; and after they have taken new robt, 
they will require no other care but to keep them 
clean from weeds. The roots will abide many years, 
and where the feeds are permitted to Latter, the plants 
will come up without care. 
The roots, leaves, and feeds of Lovage, are heating 
and drying ; they warm and comfort the ftomach, 
expel wind, and provoke urine. 
The fecond fort grows naturally near the fea in many 
parts of Scotland ; this hath a biennial root, but of 
much lefs fize than the former ; the leaves are com- 
pofed of broader and fhorter lobes, each leaf having 
two or three trifoliate leaves, whofe lobes are in- 
dented on their edges. The ftalk riles about a foot 
high, fuftaining a frnail umbel of yellow flowers 
on the top, fhaped like thofe of the former ; thefe 
appear in June, and are fucceeded by oblong chan- 
nelled feeds, which ripen in autumn. This plant 
may be cultivated in the fame manner as the former. 
The third fort grows naturally on the Alps ; this is 
a perennial plant. The ftalks rife about two feet 
high, and at every joint are bent alternately, firft to 
one fide, then to the oppofite ; at every joint they 
are garnifhed with doubly winged leaves, compofed 
of fmall lobes which run into each other, and juft 
above each leaf comes out a fide branch ; thefe, as 
alfo the principal ftalks, are terminated by umbels of 
white flowers, which appear in June, and are fuc- 
ceeded by oblong channelled feeds, which ripen in 
autumn. 
The fourth fort grows naturally on the Pyrenean 
Mountains ; this hath a biennial root. The leaves are 
doubly winged. The lobes are very narrow, and 
finely divided. The ftalks are ftrong, and rife a foot 
and a half high, garnilhed with fhining winged leaves, 
and are terminated by pretty large umbels of whitifh 
flowers, which appear in J une, and the feeds ripen in 
September. 
The fifth fort grows naturally on the Peleponefian 
Mountains ; this hath a very thick flefhy root like 
that of Parfnep, which ftrikes deep in the ground. 
The leaves are very large, being compofed of many 
winged leaves, whofe lobes are cut into acute points ; 
thefe are of a deep green, and, when bruifed, emit a 
foetid, odour. The ftalks rife three or four feet high * 
they are very large and hollow, like thofe of Hem- 
lock, and fuftain at their top large umbels of yellowifti 
flowers, in fhape of a corymbus ; thefe appear in June, ■ 
and are fucceeded by oblong channelled feeds which 
ripen in autumn. 
This has by feme perfons been thought to be the 
Hemlock of the antients, their conjedtures being 
founded upon the plant anfwering in many particu- 
■ ' Jars 
