I'NULA *. Linnean Class and Order. SYNGENE'SIA †, POLYGA'MIA, SUPERFLUA+. Natural Order. COMPO'SITES; tribe, CORYMBI'FERE, Juss. -Lindl. Syn. pp. 140 & 142.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. pp. 197 & 199.-Mack. Fl. Hibern. p. 142.-COMPO'SITE; subord. CARDUA'CEE, Loud. Hort. Brit. pp. 520 & 521.-SYNANTHE'REE; tribe, CORYMBI'FERE, Rich. bv Macgill. pp. 454 & 455.-CORYMBIFERE, sect. 2. Juss. Gen. Pl. pp. 177 & 180.-Sm. Gram. of Bot. pp. 121 & 123.; Engl. Fl. v. iii. 11. p. 334.-SYRINGALES; suborder, ASTEROSE; sect. ASTERINE; subsect. ASTERIANE; type, ASTERACEE; Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 900, 901, 920, 924, & 926.— COMPO'SITE, Linn. GEN. CHAR. Involucram (common calyx) (fig. 1.) imbricated; scales spreading, outer ones terminated by a leafy appendage. Corolla compound, radiant; florets of the disk (fig. 2.) numerous, perfect, tubular, with 5 equal segments; florets of the ray (fig. 6.) strap-shaped, 3-toothed, yellow. Filaments (see figs. 4 & 5.) 5, in the florets of the disk only, thread-shaped. Anthers united into a cylindrical tube, with bristles at their base (see fig. 5). Germen (see figs. 2 & 3.) in all the florets fertile, oblong. Style (see fig. 5.) thread-shaped, cloven. Stigmas spreading, oblong, rather obtuse. Seed-vessel none, but the unaltered calyx. Seed (see fig. 7.) linear, quadrangular. Pappus (see fig. 7.) roughish, simple. Receptacle (see fig. 8.) naked. The imbricated involucrum of many spreading scales, the outer ones terminated by a leafy appendage; the anthers with 2 bristles at their base; the naked receptacle; and the simple pappus; will distinguish this from other genera, with radiant flowers, in the same class and order. The leaf-like scales of the involucrum will distinguish it from Limbárda, and the simple pappus from Pulicária, (t. 170). One species British. I'NULA HELENIUM. Elecampane. Scab-wort. Horse-heal. SPEC. CHAR. Leaves clasping the stem, egg-shaped, somewhat toothed, wrinkled, downy beneath. Scales of the involucrum eggshaped, downy. Engl. Bot. t. 1546.-Woodv. Med. Bot. v. ii. p. 297. t. 108.-Steph. and Church. Med. Bot. v. ii. t. 49.-Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 1236.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 368.Willd. Sp. Pl. v. iii. pt. III. p. 2089.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. ii. p. 891.; Engl. Fl. v. iii. p. 440.-With, (7th ed.) v. iii. p. 944.-Lindl. Syn. p. 143.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 362.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 484.-Sibth. Fl. Oxon. p. 255.-Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p. 183.-Davies' Welsh Bot. p. 79.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. ii. p. 410.-Relh. Fl. Cant. (3rd ed.) p. 345.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 245.-Fl. Devon. pp. 139 & 160.-Winch's Fl. of Northumb. and Durham, p. 54,-Walker's Fl. Oxf. p. 243.-Perry's Pl. Fig. 1. Involucrum.-Fig. 2. A Floret of the Disk.-Fig. 3. The Germen, Stamens, Style, and Stigmas of ditto.-Fig. 4. A single Stamen.-Fig. 5. The same magnified.-Fig. 6. A Floret of the Ray.-Fig. 7. A Seed, with its Pappus.-Fig. 8. A vertical section of the Involucrum and Receptacle. Said to be the same as Helenium, having sprung from the tears of HELEN. Sir W. J. HOOKER. Varvic. Selectæ, p. 71.-Bab. Fl. Bath. p. 26.-Mack. Catal. of Pl. of Irel. p. 74. ; Fl. Hibern. p. 143.—I'nula grandiflóra, Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 463.—Helenium, Ray's Syn. p. 176.-Johnson's Gerarde, p. 793. LOCALITIES.-In moist meadows and pastures; rare.-Oxfordshire; Stanton St. John's: Dr. SIBTHORP. Fields on the right hand side of the new road going from Oxford to Ensham, about three miles from Oxford; and in a meadow near the Plough Public-House, Horton: Rev. RICHARD WALKER, B. D. Magdalen Coll.-Bedfordsh. Ravensden, and Stevington: Rev. C.ABBOT.- Cambridgesh. Moor Barns; Madingley, in a close near the road leading to Drayton; Eversden Wood; and Lolworth, in a close N. W. of the church: Rev. R. RELHAN.— Cheshire; About old Farm Houses: Mr. BRADBURY.-Cornwall; Gulval; St. Ives; St. Michael's Mount; St. Mary's; and Scilly Isles: Rev. W. T. BREE, in M. N. H. v. iv. p. 162.-Devon; Orchards at Rosa near Ilsington, and at Christowe: Fl. Devon.-Dorsetsh. In the Vale of Blackmoor in many places, as Hasilbury, Sturminster Newton; St. Margaret's Marsh, and Langton near Blandford: Dr. PULTENEY.-Durham; In Castle Eden Dene, on the N. side, about a mile from the sea; and in many places by the River Tees: Fl. North. & Durh.-Essex; Hedge by the road-side at Loughton; lane from the Bald-faced Stag on Epping Forest to Chigwell Church; near a Farm House at Muncombe near Woodford: Mr. E. FORSTER, jun.-Gloucestersh. Near Wick Cliffs: Mr. SWAYNE. On the banks of the Boyd, about a quarter of a mile above its mouth; Bitton Meadows, in large and long established patches: Rev. H.T. ELLICOMBE.-Hants; Waste places about Freshwater, and elsewhere in the Isle of Wight: WARING. Road-side between Alresford and Basingstoke, near Preston Candover: Mr. W. PAMPLIN, jun.-Herefordsh. near Richard's Castle: Dr. LLOYD.-Huntingdonsh. About Ripton and Warboys.-Lancash. About Yealand: ROBSON. Several places near Dalton: Mr. ATKINSON.--Mid· dlesex; In a meadow at Breakspears, called Gantlets; and in a close adjoining the Common at Harefield: BLACKSTONE.-Norfolk; In several parts of the County: Mr. R. FORBY.—Northamptonsh. In the home closes at Rance; and in the grounds near the church at Newton Broomshold: MORTON.-Shropsh Near Llanymenech; two miles from Bishops Castle on the Montgomery road; Marlow near Ludlow: Mr. A. AIKIN.-Somersetsh. Near Yeovil: M. N. Hist. Pastures at Hinton Abbey, near the Fish-ponds: Mr. SALE.-Staffordsh Himley Wood: Rev. W. T. BREE.-Suffolk; At Mettingham: Mr. WOODWARD. Parham, the Hall Farm; Ufford: Rev. G. CRABBE. Sibton, Bramfield, and Heveningham: Mr. DAVY.-- Warwicksh. Studley, in the Castle Field; and at Grafton: T. PURTON, Esq.-Wilts; River-side near Bemerton : Dr. MATON. Lower Whitacre: Rev. W. T. BREE.-Worcestersh. In great abundance on the side of Breedon Hill, in the ascent from Great Comberton; NASH. Between Worcester and Ludlow; and near Stanford Bridge: Illust.-Yorksh. In Mowthorpe Dale: TEFSDALE. Byland Wood near Coxwold: Rev. ARCHDEACON PIERSON. Near Copgrove, and Newby: Rev. J. DALTON. Pastures above Fountains Abbey: Mr. BRUNTON. On low land near the River Don, about six miles from Doncaster: S. APPLEBY. Hayburn Wyke, near Scarborough: Rev. A. BLONAM, and E. F. WITTS, Esq.-In WALES; SCOTLAND; and IRELAND; but rare. Perennial. Flowers in July and August. Root thick, branching, brown, aromatic, and mucilaginous. Stem from 3 to 5 feet high, upright, leafy, round, furrowed, downy; branched towards the top. Lower leaves large, stalked, spearshaped; upper leaves egg-spear-shaped, sessile, clasping the stem, serrated, veiny, deep green, slightly hairy above; whitish-green, and downy underneath. Flowers large, solitary, terminating the stem and branches. Scales of the involucrum broad, recurved, leafy, finely downy on both sides. Florets all yellow; those of the ray long and narrow, each terminating in 3 unequal teeth. Seed quadrangular, smooth. Pappus roughish. Receptacle reticulated, not quite smooth or naked. This is the Elecampane of the shops; the root is esteemed a good pectoral; and the scab in sheep is cured by a decoction of it. Bruised and macerated in urine with balls of ashes and wortle-berries, it dyes a fine blue colour. An infusion of the fresh root, sweetened with honey, is considered an excellent medicine in the hooping cough. Horses and goats eat this plant; cows, sheep, and swine refuse it. |