36 The VEGETABLE SYSTEM. 
5. LINEAR SHEEP ROT. 
Plate 11. Fig. 1. 
Character of the Species. Hydrocotyle Cbinenfis. 
The Leaves are linear and obtufe ; the Head has many 
Flowers. 
Fig. \ . a b. 
This is a biennial, native of China, a Plant altogether Angular for 
one of this Genus, by the difeordant fliape of its Lea\es; flowering in 
Auguft. 
The Stalk is (lender but firm ; it creeps upon the ground as the 
others; and fends ufually two Leaves from the fame joint, with each 
Tuft of Roots. The colour of the Stem is pale; the Leaves are of a 
very fine frefli green ; the Flowers are white. 
The Leaves of this Plant, fo perfedlly different from thofe of the 
four other Species, rob 11s entirely, of what they would indeed but ill 
have left, the common Englifli name. The Leaves of the firft are 
fo well rounded, and Ruck on the Stalk in fo odd a way, without 
breaking in upon the margin, that the Englifli fliepherds, who had too 
much caufe to know the Plant, called it Pennywort ; and as there 
was a different Plant entirely, which had the fame kind of Leaves *, 
they were foon taught to diftinguifli the two by the places of their 
growth, calling this Marfh Pennywort, and that Wall Pennywort. 
Thus far the difficulty was to be got over by the help of an epithet : 
but here is a Plant, whofe Flowers plainly declare it to be of that Genus, 
but whofe Leaves are not in the leaf! like pieces of money. 
We think it very eflfential to have a diftindt Englifli name to every 
Genus, but cannot always anfwer for the propriety of thofe we ufe ; be- 
caufe where there is an old received one, we prefer it always, for that 
reaion, to a better that fliould be new or but lefs known : therefore 
we have retained to this Genus, an Englifli name, as old and well re- 
ceived as the other, though perhaps founded in error, and which will 
* Cotyledon umbilicus veneris. 
fuit 
u 
