Chenopodium BONUS Henricus. Good King Henry. 
CHENOPODIUM. Lh. Gen. PI. Pentandeia Digynia. 
0/. 5 phyllus, 5 gonus, Cer.o. Sen,, l. lenticulare, fupcrurn. 
nail. Syn. Gen. y. Herb* floee imperfecto eeu stamineo vee apetaeo 
POTIUS-, 
CHENOPODIUM Bonus Henricus foll'is 'triangulari lagittafis integerrimis, Ipicis compofitis aphy 
laribus. Ln,. Syfi. f^egetisb. p. zi6. &p. PI. P- 3^8. ¥L Suecic. n. 214-^ 
CHENOPODIUM follis triangularibus, undulatis, integerrimis, fubtus farmofis. Haller, ijl. n. 157 . 
CHENOPODIUM Bonus Henricus. Scepoll. FI Carn. 27.8. 
LAPATHUM unauofum iblio triangulo. Baub. pin. 1 1-5. 
BLITUM perenne. Bonus Henricus diautn. Bonus Henricus J. S. II. 965- Ger. emac, 329. 
LAPATHUM unaiiofum. Parh 1245. Syn. p. 156. cbminon EnglilE Mercury, or AlLgood. 
Hudfon FI, J/igl. ed. 2. p. 104- F'gMoot FI, Scot. ,p. i4> 
RADIX perennis, famofa. , , /■ 
C\ULIS pedalis, ad fefquipedalem, eretlus, ad balm 
teres, li£via, lupernc ftriato-angulatus, fanna 
diaphan^ adfperlus, ramofus. 
FOLIA petiolata, alterna, fagitlato-triangularia, lajvia, 
fubtus venofa, pallidiora, et farinofa, fubun- 
dulata, integerrima. 
SPICA florum terminalis, lutefcens, conica, nuda, pul- 
verulenta, inferne compoflta, fuperne glome- 
rata, cylindrica. 
CALYX; Perianthium monopbyllum, quinquepap- 
tltum, laciniis fubcunelformibus, concavis, 
margine membranaceis, apice dentato erofis. 
fg, 1. 
COROLLA nulla 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, fubulata, calyce 
paulo longiora; Anther/e fubrotunds, dl- 
dymas, flavge. fg. 2 
PISTILLUM; Germen ovatum, compreflum ; Sty- 
lus nullus; Stigma bipartitum, tripartitum, 
aut etiam quadripartitum, laciniis acuminatis, 
albidis, patentibus, fg. 4. 
PERICARPIUM nullum, calyx continens femen uni- 
cum, majufculum, fubretiiforme, compreflum, 
calycem excedens, epidermide tenui obtedlum. 
fg, 5. 
FLORES FEMINEI, plurimi, intra hermaphroditos. 
? ROOT perennial and branched. . , • 1 
I STALK from a foot to a foot and a half m height, at 
I bottom round and fmooth, upwards finely 
? grooved, and fomewhat angular, covered with 
I tranfparent powdery globules, and branched; 
I LEAVES ftanding on footftalks, alternate, triangularly 
^ arrow-lhaped, fmooth, underneath veiny, of 
I a paler colour and mealy, fomewhat waved, 
t and entire at the edge. 
I SPIKE of flowers terminal, yellowifli, conical, naked, 
I mealy, below branched, above cluftered and 
I • cylindrical. 
I CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, deeply di- 
I vided into five fegments, which are fomewhat 
^ wed^-e-fhaped, concave, membranous at the 
f «dge^ and jagged at top. fg. i. 
I COROLLA wanting. _ • , , 
I STAMINA: five Filaments tapering, a little longer 
? rhan the calyx ; Anther.®: rouiidifh, double, 
* and yellow, fg. 2. 
1 PISTILLUM : Germen ovate, flattened ; Style 
2 wanting; Stigma divided to the bafe into 
I two, three, or four fegments, which run out 
f to a point, are of a whitilh colour, and fpread*- 
I ing. 9%. 4. .... 
I SEED-VESSEL wanting, the calyx containing a fingle 
t feed, large, fomewhat kidney-fhaped, flattened, 
* exceeding the calyx, and covered with a 
f fine skin. fig. 5. 
I FEMALE FLOWERS numerous among the herma- 
« nhrodlce ones. 
Several plants of the Orach and Goofefoot kind are gathered while young and tender by the poorer fort of 
people to fupply the place of Spinach and other greens, one of them is the prefent plant, whofe excellence as a 
pot-herb feems not to be fo generally known as it deferves ; at Bo fan in Lincolnfire, and probably in many 
places in the kingdom, they are fenfible of its value, it is there univerfally cultivated, every one poflclling the lealt 
fpot of ground has his plantation of EnglUh Mercury ; by them It is confidered as fuperior to Spinach, and al- 
Ways preferred to it, yet, flrange to tell ! this ufefull herb is unknown to the greateft Herb-market m the world, 
'Co’Oent-Garden. . _ j i r-i 
To produce this defireable plant in its greateft perfedion, fow the feed about March on a deep loomy loil pre- 
pared as for Afparagus, let the feediings continue to grow till Autumn, about the middle of September, taking 
advantage of a wet feafon, fet them out on a bed fimilar to that on which they were fown, about a foot apart, 
keep them clear of %veeds, and the enfuing Spring and Summer the plant will afford an abundant crop, the 
young Ihoots with their leaves and tops are to be cut as they fpring up, and being a perenmal plant it will con- 
tinue thus plentifully to produce for a great number of years ; in the winter the bed is to be covered with dung, 
which iliould be raked offas the Spring advances, when the earth around the roots is carefully to be dug or forked up. 
As a medicine this herb is ranked among the emollients, but rarely made ufe of in praftice; the leaves are 
applied by the common people for healing flight wounds, cleanfing old ulcers, and other like purpofes. 
^It glows in uncultivated places, by road-fides, and particularly in the environs of Farm-yards, like moft of 
the fame t^enus appearing to be fond of dung ; it produces both flowers and feeds from May to Auguft. 
From all the other Chenopodiums it differs in having a perennial root. _ 
The name by which It is moft commonly called is that of Mercury., a name which tends to confound it with 
the other Mercuries (Mercurialis annua, and perennis) and which it were better if poftible to get rid of by ufing 
the old botanic name of Good King Henry. 
