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BRITISH WILD FLOWERS. 
leaves, and corymbose flowers. The name of Achillea is said to be given to this genus in consequence of the 
healing virtues possessed by some of the species having been first discovered by Achilles. 
1.—THE COMMON YARROW, OR MILFOIL. (Achillea Millefolium, Lin.) 
Engravings. —Eng. Bot., t. 758 ; 2nd ed., t. 1184 ; and our Jig. 4, in PL 42. 
Specific Character, —Leaves doubly pinnatifid, hairy ; segments linear, toothed, pointed. Stem furrowed. (Smith.) 
Description, &c. —This plant is common in every part of Great Britain, particularly on road sides and the 
banks of hedges, where it spreads rapidly from its creeping underground stem. The plant is astringent, and it 
was formerly in high repute for healing wounds. It is a perennial, and flowers all the summer. 
THE SNEEZE-’WORT, OR GOOSE-TONGUE. (A. Ptarmica, Lin.) 
This plant is a perennial, which is found abundantly in moist meadows and pastures, where it produces its 
flat corymbs of white flowers in July and August. The leaves, having a pungent odour, are sometimes used as 
a substitute for snuff; and hence the English name of Sneeze-wort. The juice of the whole plant is acrid. 
THE GOLDEN YARROW. (A. tomentosa, Lin.) 
This plant is only found in dry hilly pastures in Scotland and Ireland. It is a perennial, with a very downy 
stem, which seldom grows above six or eight inches high, and it continues producing its golden-yellow flowers 
all the summer and autumn. 
There is another species of this genus (A. serrata) which has been only found near Matlock, and which 
closely resembles A. Ptarmica , except that its leaves are more deeply serrated, and its flowers are of a pale 
yellow or buff-colour, instead of being white. 
GENUS XXIII. 
THE BUR-WEED. (Xanthium, Lin.) 
Lin. Syst. MONCECIA PENTANDRIA. 
Generic Character.. —Monoecious.—Male. Involucrum many-leaved, many-flowered. Florets all tubular. Receptacle paleaceous.— 
Female. Involucrum one-leaved, prickly, containing 2 florets. Fruit inclosed in the hard indurated involucrum. (Lindley.) 
Description, &c. —There is only one British species of this very curious genus, viz. the Common Bur-weed 
( X. strumarium, Lin.), and this has only been found on dung-hills, or in other rank moist soils, in the imme¬ 
diate neighbourhood of London. The flowers are very curious, and they are surrounded by prickly involucres, 
which become a part of the seed-vessel when it is ripe, and cause it to adhere to the clothes, like a bur; and 
hence the popular name. The plant is an annual, and flowers in August and September. The name of 
Xanthium is derived from a Greek word signifying yellow, because an infusion of the leaves was used to give a 
golden hue to the hair. The genus is placed in the Linnaean class Monoecia, because the male and female flowers 
are distinct; and in the order Pentandria, on account of its five stamens. 
