20 
HABITS AND LATIN NAMES OF BRITISH PLANTS. 
phenomenon, for no one ever cultivated such plants for utility, much less for 
ornament.” 
Artemisia maritima , Sea Southernwood or Wormwood.—In its wild state it 
smells like maram or camphor, but in our gardens is less grateful, though still 
much more so than the former species. It is used as an ingredient in distilled 
waters, and beat with thrice its weight of fine sugar is formed into a conserve. 
Its virtues are the same with those of the last species, but in a weaker degree. 
Horses eat it ; Cows, Goats, and Sheep eat it. Threlkeld informs us that in 
Ireland the country people make it into sheaves, and bring it in cars out of the 
adjacent counties of Meath and Lowth to Dublin, 44 of which alehouse-keepers 
make their purl, great consumption of which is made in winter mornings.” 
Arum. — A pov. Lobelius derives it quasi isgov, sacred ; but it may more pro¬ 
bably be from jaron, a dart, Arab., which it exactly represents. 
Arum maculatum , Wake-Robin, Cuckoo-pint, Cows-and-Calves, Lords-and- 
Ladies, &c. &c.—The scarlet berries about the close of summer render the 
hedge-banks gay, when flowers are no more, and their own foliage has long 
disappeared. The root and the leaves, when recent, are so extremely pungent, 
that it is highly disagreeable to taste them. Dried and powdered, it is used by 
the French as a lotion, and is sold at a high price, under the name of 44 Cypress 
Powder.” It is undoubtedly a good and innocent cosmetic. After the acrimony 
of the roots has been extracted, either by boiling or baking, they afford a very 
mild and wholesome farinaceous nutriment, resembling Salep. Many nations 
prepare the only bread they have from plants as acrimonious as this ; first dis¬ 
sipating the noxious qualities by heat. Wedelius conjectures that the plant 
named Chara, on which, mixed with milk and made into a sort of bread, Cesar’s 
soldiers subsisted at Dyrrachium during a scarcity of provisions, was either this 
species of Arum , or one much resembling it, which seems not improbable, from 
the nutritive and farinaceous qualities of the root. Formerly Cuckoo-pint was 
well known by the name of Starch-wort, a pure and white starch being obtained 
from it. Dioscorides reports that the leaves may also be eaten, after being dried 
and boiled. Gerard asserts a curious fact from Aristotle, AElimus, and other 
ancient authorities—that 44 Beares after they have lien in their dens forty daies 
without any manner of sustenance (but what they got with licking and sucking 
their owne feete), as soon as they come forth, eate the herbe Cuckow-pint 
which seems to prove a sure restorative. In severe snowy winters, according to 
the observations of Mr. White, the roots are scratched out of the dry banks of 
hedges and eaten by Thrushes. Its economical uses appear to be well known 
abroad. In France it bears the name of Chou Poiore (Pepper Cabbage), and 
Pain de Lievre (Hare’s-bread), as though eaten by those animals. It has been 
latterly much used in England as a substitute for the Maranta, or Indian Arrow- 
