76 
Hexandria . 
mountains of Wales and Scotland, and sometimes used 
as salad. 
Rum. Acetosa , Common Sorrel ; with dioecious flow- 
ers, and oblong arrow-headed leaves ; common in mea- 
dows and pastures. 
Rum. Acetosella , Sheep’s Sorrel ; with dioecious 
flowers, and lanceolate halberd-shaped leaves. Very 
common in barren pastures. 
Order IV. Tetragynia. 
Petiveria Alliacea, Guinea Henweed. Cal. four- 
leaved, no corolla ; style lateral ; one seed. This plant 
is a native of Jamaica and South America, is remark- 
ably acrid, and when fchewed, produces great heat in 
the mouth ; the Guinea hen is extremely fond of it, 
from which it derives its name ; and it communicates 
the taste of garlic to the milk, and an unpleasant fla- 
vour even to the flesh of cattle that feed upon it. The 
Peruvians employed it as a charm, and fancied that its 
effects were very powerful and extensive ; but its use 
was prohibited by the Spaniards, either from a desire 
to discourage such superstitions, or from an apprehen- 
sion that they were injurious to their power. 
Order V. Polygynia. 
Alisma. Gen. char. — -Cal. three leaved ; petals 
three ; several seed-vessels. 
Al. Plantago, Great Water Plantain ; with acute 
