S p i r y a Ulmaria. 
Meadow-Sweet. 
SPIRAlA Lin. Gen. PL Icosandria Pentagynia. 
Cal. 5-fidus. Petala 5. Cap/, polyfpermse. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 15. Herbie semine nudo polyspermy. 
SPIRAEA Ulmaria foliis pinnatis : impari majore lobato, floribus cymofis. Lin. Syfi. Veget ab. p. 
393 * Sp. Pl.p. 702. FI. Suec. n. 440. 
FILIPENDU-LA foliis pinnatis, acute ferratis, minimis intermittis, extrema trilobate maxima. 
Haller, hifl. n. 1135. 
SPIRAlA Ulmaria Scopoli FI. Carn. n. 603. 
BARBA CAPRI floribus compa&is. Bauh. Pin. 164. 
ULMARIA I. B. III. 488. 
REGINA PRATI Ger. emac. p. 1043. 
ULMARIA vulgaris. Parkin/. 592. Raii Syn. p. 259. Meadow-Sweet. Hudfon FI. Angi ei. 2. 
p. 217. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 259. 
RADIX perennis, craflitie minimi digiti, obliqua, <> ROOT perennial, the thicknefs of the little lingei, 
rubicunda, fibris plurimis ex fufco lutefcen- $ oblique, reddifh, furmflied with numerous 
tibus defcendentibus inftru£la. 4 fibres of a brownilh yellow colour, running 
f deep into the earth. 
CAULIS bi feu tripedalis et ultra, ereftus, foliofus, <]> STALK from two to three feet high or more, up- 
angulatus, glaber, hinc inde rubicundus, | right, leafy, angular, fmooth, here and there 
plerumque fimplex. \ of a reddilh colour, for the molt part un- 
branched. 
vel 5-juga : $ LEAVES alternate. Handing on foot-flalks, pinnated 
FOLIA alterna, petiolata, pinnata, ^ w w 
foliolis oppofitis, feflilibus, ovato-oblongis, | 
fupra viridibus, glabris, lucidiufculis, line- < . 
atis, minutim venulofis, rugofis, fubtus ner- 
vofis, minutim tomentofis, cinereis, margine 
incifo-dentatis, undique ferratis, minutim 
ciliatis ; terminatis foliolo majore, trifido- 
palmato. 
PETIOLI fubtus convexi, fupra concavi ; radicales 
triplo longiores. 
STIPULyE amplexicaules, acuta;, margine undique 
ferrata;, minutim ciliata; ; partiales in petiolo 
communi intra lingulum par pinnarum, fub 
oppofitse, parvas, inequales magnitudine, 
ovatas, dentato-ferratas, parit,er fubtus to- 
mentofae. 
pinnas from three to five pair, oppofite, fef- 
file, ovato-oblong, above green, fmooth and 
fomewhat fhining, minutely veined, and 
wrinkled, the veins imprefied, beneath 
ribbed, covered with an alh-coloured downy 
fubftance, the edge jagged, ferrated, and 
finely edged with hairs, the terminal pinna 
large and deeply divided into three fegments. 
LEAF-STALKS convex beneath, concave above, 
thofe of the radical leaves three times as long 
as the others. 
STIPULvE ftem-clafping, pointed, ferrated, and finely 
edged with hairs, the partial ones on the 
common foot-ftalk betwixt each pair of 
pinnae, nearly oppofite, fmall, unequal in 
fize, ovate, indented or ferrated, and like 
the pinnas downy underneath. 
CORYMBUS terminalis, ereftus, minutim pubefcens, | CORYMBUS terminal,^ upright, ^flight!)' pubefcent, 
pedunculatus, nudus, compofitus e cymis < " ’ r ‘ J ~ C 
plurimis inaequalibus, intermedia feflili. < 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, fubcampa- ^ 
nulatum, ad lentem pubefcens, pallidum, <} 
quinquefidum, laciniis ovatis, acutis, demum | 
reflexis. Jig. i. <9 
{talked, naked, compofed of feveral une- 
> qual cymas, the intermediate one fefiile. 
| CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, fomewhat 
bell-fhaped, if magnified {lightly downy, of 
a pale colour, divided into five fegments, 
which are ovate, pointed, and finally re- 
^ flexed, Jig. ik 
albida, oblongo- $ COROLLA: five whitifh Petals, oblong, roundifli, 
patentia, calyce | clawed, fpreading twice the length of the 
r ._., 6 — Q calyx, Jig. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta viginti plura, filiformia, Q STAMINA : twenty Filaments or more, filiform, 
flavefcentia, longitudine corollas, calyci in- yellowifh, the length of the corolla, inferted 
ferta. Anthery fubrotundas, flavefcentes, | into the calyx. Anthery nearly round, 
fig. 3. I and yellowifh, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germina quinque, fex, five plura ; <9 PISTILLUM : Germina five, fix, or more ; Styles 
Styli totidem, fuperne incrafiati, reflexa; ^ as many, thickened above and turned back; 
Stigmata capitata, / p-. 4. <> Stigmata forming little heads, fig. 4. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsuly plurimas, fpiraliter con- | SEED-VESSEL : Capsules feveral, twilled toge- 
tortas, fig. 5. I ther fpirally, fig. 5. 
COROLLA: Petala quinque, 
rotundata, unguiculata, 
duplo longiora, fig. 2. 
The Meadow-Sweet has been juflly celebrated for its fragrance and beauty, the agreeable odour which the 
whole plant, but more particularly the .flowers, diffufe, has recommended it for the purpofe of fcenting rooms, 
and purifying the air, by ftrewing it on the floors ; it is faid not to affe£l the head like other perfumes : the 
leaves alfo, like thofe of Burnet, impart an agreeable flavour to wine and other liquors. 
As an ornamental plant, it has long held a place in our gardens, not only in its wild flate, but with 
variegated leaves and double flowers. 
It puts in its claim alfo for medicinal virtues, which, however, do not appear to be of the moll powerful 
kind; the leaves are recommended as mildly aflringent, and ufeful in Dyfenteries ; the flowers are faid to 
be antifpafmodic and diuretic : their pleafant fmell, in which their virtue refides, is foon diflipated by keeping. 
It grows plentifully in wet meadows and by the fides of ponds and ditches, flowering from July to September. 
Horfes and kine are faid to refufe it, flieep to eat it, and goats to be particularly fond of it; as it forms a 
great part of the paflurage in fome meadows, it is of confequence for the hufbandman more clearly to afcertain 
whether horfes and cows refufe the young foliage, and whether they rejeft the whole plant when made into hay. 
We have frequently obferved fmall red tubercles on the leaves, which we have fuppofed to be occafioned 
by fome fpecies of Cynips. 
