MENYANTHES TRIFOLIATA.— THE BUCKBEAN OR BOGBEAN. 
MARSH TREFOIL. 
Class Y. PENTANDRIA.— Order I. MONOGYNIA. 
Natural Order, GENTI ANEiE. THE GENTIAN TRIBE. 
Fig. («) represents the flower expanded and somewhat magnified, to show the stamens, germen, and style. 
Buck-bean, or Bog-bean, so termed from its leaves resembling those of the common garden-bean, is one 
of the most beautiful of our indigenous plants; “nor does it suffer,” as Mr. Curtis justly observes “when 
compared with the Kalmias, the Rhododendrons, and the Ericas of foreign climes, which are purchased at 
an extravagant price, and kept up with much pains and expense, while this delicate native, which might be 
procured without any expense, and cultivated without any trouble, blossoms unseen, and wastes its beauty 
in the desert air.” , , , 
It is a native of many parts of Europe, growing abundantly in marshy meadows, and ponds, and some- 
times even in ditches. The most spongy, boggy soils, which are inundated at certain seasons, and never 
wholly destitute of water, are the favourite stations of this plant. It often constitutes large beds at the 
margins of ponds and brooks. We obtained it on the great bog on the western slope of Hampstead heath, 
where it grows in great plenty ; but flowers very sparingly, about the end of June and beginning of Ju y. 
It is common in many parts of North America, particularly in New England, and grows, according to Pursh, 
as far south as Virginia. . , 
Professor Bigelow states that the Buck-bean is one of those plants which are native in Europe, and 
North America, with so little difference of structure in the two continents, that their specific identity can 
hardly be doubted ; and after examining specimens from both, he could perceive no definable difference, ex- 
cepting in size. The English plant, however, flowers a month later than its American representative does 
in the neighbourhood of Boston. 
Buck-bean has a long, creeping, jointed root, with perpendicular radicles, from which proceeds a smooth, 
erect, cylindrical stem, that is naked and destitute of leaves, and rises to the height of a foot. I he leaves 
are bright green, obovate, wavy, with a thick midrib, smooth on both sides, ternate or growing by threes, 
like those of trefoil, (whence the names Marsh-trefoil, trifolium paludosum, le Treffle d’eau, and Menyanthes 
trifoliata,) at the extremity of a common foot-stalk, which issues immediately from the root, and is roun , 
striated, forms a sheath at the bottom, and is shorter than the flowering stem. The flowers grow m a loose 
spike at the extremitv of an erect, round, smooth stalk, longer than the leaves, which sprmgs from within 
the sheath of a leaf. ' They are ten or twelve in number, each supported on its proper pedicel, and accom- 
panied by small ovate bracteas. The calyx is divided into five deep, slightly spreading segments . the 
corolla is funnel-shaped, divided beyond the middle into five deep, spreading or recurved, pointed segments, 
which are white tipped with rose-colour, smooth externally, and clothed with dense, white, s aggy res 
on their upper side. The filaments are awl-shaped, bearing erect sagittate anthers of a reddish colour ; 
germen conical; the stigma lobed or notched, with a slender style twice the length of the stamens 
capsule is ovate, succulent, 1 -celled, which, when it has attained maturity, separates into two valves inclosing 
several small roundish seeds of a brown or yellowish colour. . 
Of the etymology of the generic name Menyanthes, retained from the Greek and Latin botanist, w 
can give no really satisfactory account. Some render it moon-flower, a name whic as re erence ° 
presumed emmenagogue effects, in which case however it should have been written Meneanthos, as be mg 
compounded of pwi the moon, and <*.v6o<; a flower, but such corruptions are not uncommon, 
it from to remain, conceive the name to be expressive of the permanency o tie ower, u 
jecture is even more fanciful than the former. The name Buck-bean, is either a corruption of Bog-bean 
or, what is more probable, is derived from the French, le Bone, a he-goat; the plant having, formerly been 
distinguished by the appellation, Phaseolus Hircinus, that is, Goat’s-bean. , 
Joalities and* Chemical Pkopeet.es. The whole plant and particularly the roo^ has an in- 
tensely bitter taste, which resides chiefly in an extractive matter, solu e in water an spin from its 
however, resinous, and impregnates alcohol more strongly than water; and may e piecipi 
