Symphytum officinale. 
Comfrey. 
SYMPHYTUM Lin. Gen. PI. Pentandria Monogynia. 
Corolla limbus tubulato ventricofus : fauce claufa radiis fubu latis. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 13. Herbas Asperifoli.®. 
SYMPHYTUM officinale foliis ovato-lanceolatis decurrentibus. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p.158. Sp. PI. 195. 
FI. Suec. n. 165. 
SYMPHYTUM Haller. Hijl. n. 600. 
SYMPHYTUM Scofoli FI. Cam. n. 195. 
SYMPHYTUM Cohfolida major. Bauh. pin. 259. 
CONSOLIDA major. Gerard emac. 806. 
SYMPHYTUM majus vulgare. Parkinfon 523. Raii Syn. p. 230. Comfrey. Hudfon. FI. Angl. 
ed. 2. p. 81. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 134. 
RADIX perennis* magna, ramofa, extus nigricans, intus ^ ROOT perennial, large, branched, on the outfide 
alba, fubdulcenti-infipida* l'ucco tenaci gluti- | 
nofo abundans. 
blackilh, white within, maukifh, abounding 
, with a flimy juice. 
CAULIS bipedalis* eredliis, ramofus* teres, fubangula - 1 STALK about two feet high, upright, branched, round. 
tus, fcaber ; pube rigida;, recurva. 
FOLIA alterna, inferne petioldta* fuperne feffilia, decur- 
rentia, ovata, acuta, fpithamiea, etiam pedalia, 
parum rugbfa, venofa, utrinque fcabra, mar- 
gine lubundulita, ciliatai 
yet (lightly angular, rough; the hairs rigid 
; and bending backwards. 
: LEAVES alternate, the lower ones (landing on foot- 
ftalks, the upper ones fefiile, decurrent, ovate, 
pointed, (even inches, or even a foot in length, 
■ fomewhat wrinkly, veined, rough on both 
fides, the edges (lightly waved, and fringed 
with hairs. 
; FLOWERS of a yellowilh white colour, rarely purple, 
drooping, placed on racemi or branches, which 
ufually grow two together, turn (pirally in- 
wards, and fupport many flowers. 
PEDUNCLES both of the racemi and flowers, round 
and very hairy. 
CALYX: a Perianthium of one leaf, hairy, deeply 
divided into five fegments, which are lanceo- 
late, keel’d and upright. Jig. 1. 
COROLLA funuel-fhaped, of a yellowilh white colour, 
deciduous; the tube thick, the length of the 
calyx, marked externally at the top with five 
fmall depreflions ; jig. 2. the limb ovate from 
the gradual widening of the tube, divided 
into five (hort roundifh fegments, which are 
rolled back ; the mouth doled with five long 
and pointed ne&aries, thick at the edge, with 
numerous teeth-like points, doling at top, 
(horter than the corolla. Jig. 4, 5. 
STAMINA : five, lanceolate, white, Ihortilh Fila- 
ments ; Anthers oblong, bifid both at top 
and at bottom, of a yellowilh colour, upright, 
. hid by the nedaries. Jig. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen quadripartitum : lobis fubro- I PISTILLUM : Germen divided into four lobes, which 
FLORES ex albo-lutefcehtes; rato purpUfei; cernui, 
racemofi, racemis plerumque geminis, invo- 
lutis, multifloris. 
PEDUNCULI racemorum & florum teretes, hirfuti. 
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, villofum, pro- 
funde quinquefidum : laciniis lanceolatis acutis, 
carinatis, eredis, fig. 1. 
COROLLA infundibuliformis, ex luteo-alba, decidua ; 
'■Tubus ciafibs, longitudine calycis, apice extus- 
notatus pundis quinque depreliis, jig. 2 ; limbus 
ovatus, e tubo fenfim ampliato, minutim quin- 
quefidus, laciniis brevibus, rotundatis, revo- 
lutis; faux claufa: fquamis nedareis quinque 
lanceolatis, acutis, margine craflis, ferrulato- 
dentatis, conniventibus, corolla brevioribus. 
fig' 4 . 5' 
STAMINA : Fil amenta quinque, lanceolata, alba, 
breviufcula ; Anther ie oblonga:, apice et bafi | 
bifida:, lutefcentes, eredis, lub fquamis nec- | 
tareis occultata:. fig. 3 
tundis, obtufis, viridibus ; Stylus fubulatus, 
albus, inter lobos germinis furgens, corolla i 
paulo longior, apice obliquus ; Stigma par- % 
vum, obtuium. Jig. 6. ? 
SEMINA quatuorin fundo calycis, majufcula, angulata, 
nigricantia, nitida. Jig. 7. 
are roundifh, blunt and green ; Style taper- 
ing, white, arifing from the middle betwixt 
the lobes, a little longer than the corolla, with 
I a fmall obliquity at top ; Stigma fmall and 
$ blunt. Jig. 6. 
I SEEDS four, in the bottom of the calyx, largilh, angu- 
$ lar, blackifh and (hining. Jig, 7. 
The Comfrey is a very common plant by river fides, on the edges of wet ditches, and in other moifl fixa- 
tions ; it flowers from June to September. 
Its blofloms are for the moll part of a yellowilh white colour, but in fome parts of England, and abroad, 
they are more commonly purple. 
As a medicinal plant the Comfrey has been held in high eftimation, its confolidating virtues have however been 
c arried to a ridiculous excels ; the roots, which are full of a glutinous juice, agree in quality with the roots of 
Marln-mallow, and hence are recommended, internally, in fpittings of blood, purgings, fluxes, and ulcers of the 
bladder ; external! v, by way of poultice to frefli wounds, fraftured bones, bad ulcers, bruifes, gouty fwellings, &c. 
A decoction of the powdered root, prepared in a particular manner, yields a fine fcarlet colour. Hellot 
icin' urc, p. 357. 
It h generally left on touched by cattle. I know of no plant, that on being repeatedly cut down, producca 
iuth a quantity of herbage. ’ r 
