Flora cestrica : an attempt to enumerate and describe the flowering and filicoid plants of Chester County in the state of Pennsylvania : with brief notices of their properties and uses, in medicine, domestic and rural economy, and the arts / by William Darlington.

  • Darlington, William, 1782-1863.
Date:
1837
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Flora cestrica : an attempt to enumerate and describe the flowering and filicoid plants of Chester County in the state of Pennsylvania : with brief notices of their properties and uses, in medicine, domestic and rural economy, and the arts / by William Darlington. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    Obs. Common throughout the United States,—ami perhaps, Uio only species of the genus, amongst us ; for there is strong reason u> suspect, that the C. autumnal- is, L. (C. linearis, Pursh.) and the C. terrestris, llaf. (C. brevifolia, Pursh.) are nothing more than Varieties of this remarkably polymorphous plant. The Var. autumnalis—with leaves nearly all linear, and often bifid at the end,—is usually found in shallow waters, and along the muddy margins of rivulets. Tn company with the Var. intermedia. The Var. terrestris—with short, obtuse, crowded and somewhat succulent leaves— •tccurs in soft muddy places which are not covered with water; and the stem is Consequently prostrate, and creeping. It seems, in fact, to be a mere stunted vari- ety, resulting from its locality ; and in this opinion several eminent Botanist* concur,—of whom I may mention Professors Hooker and Torrby ; and my friend l>r. Pickering, of Philadelphia. The associated flowers in the axils have generally been considered as constitu- ling one perfect Jlmcer in each ; but the arrangement of the parts seems pretty clearly to indicate tico, distinct, unisexual flowers, closely crowded together. [Leersia virginica. Cinna arundinacea. Andropogon macrourus, and A. Virginia ■ us. Triandria Digynia] CLASS II. rHAXSJRIA. Order 1. Ulonogysua. § 1. Fiowebs complete. A. Ovary superior. Corolla monopetalous : f regular. * Fruit a Berry. 2. LIGUSTRUM. L. Gen. PI. 23. [Latin, Ligare, to tie ; from the use made of its pliable branches.] Calyx minutely 4-toothed. Corolla 4-lobed ; lobes ovate, spreading. Berry 2-cellcd; cells 2-seeded. Shrubs: leaves opposite, simple ; flowers in terminal panicles. Nat. Ord. 20i. T.indl. Oleacb-E. 1. L. yuioabi, L. Leaves elliptic-lanceolate, entire, acute or obtuse, mucronulate, glabrous ; panicle racemose, crowded. Beck, Bot.p. 231. Common Ligustrum. Vulgo—Privet. Prim. Gallice—Troene. Germanice—Der Hartriegel. Hispanice—Alhena. Stem 6 to 8 or 10 feet high, much branched, branches opposite. Leaves varying from lanceolate and acute, to elliptic, or oblanceolate and obtuse. Calyx small, inonosepalous, with four minute, almost obsolete teeth. Corolla white, funnel-form, the tube longer than the calyx. Berry black, globose. Hab. Along fences, and road sides: frequent. Fl. June. Fr. October. Obs. This shrub was introduced from England, by the early settlers of Chester County, and cultivated for hedges; but it did not answer the purpose well, and was soon neglected. It is now extensively naturalized. The leaves,—which are hardy, and often persist until mid-winter,—are considerably stimulant; and aro frequent- ly chewed, or used in gargles, as a popular remedy for ulcers in the mouth and 'throat. There is a variety with white berries, occasionally cultivated by the curi- ae.