Family Herbal - Electric Scotland

104 FAMILY HERBAL.
The Black Currant. Ribcsia nigra.
THIS is a little shrub, of late brought very
universally into our gardens. It grows three or
four foot high. The branches are weak, and the
bark is smooth. The leaves are large and broad,
and divided in the manner of those of the common
currants ; but they have a strong smell. The
flowers are greenish and hollow. The fruit is
a large and round berry, black, and of a some-
what disagreeable taste, growing
in the manner of
the currants.
The juice of black currants boiled up with su-
gar to a jelly, is an excellent remedy against sore
throats.
Long Cyperus. Cyjperus longus.
A WILD plant
in our marshes, fens, and other
damp places.
It is a foot and half high. The
leaves are a foot long or more, narrow, grassy, and
of a bright green colour, flat, and sharp at the
ends. The stalk is triangular and green ; there
are no leaves on it, except two or three small ones
at the top, from which there rises a number ojE
small tufts or spikes of flowers. These arc brown,
light, chaffy, and in all respects like those of the
other water grasses.
The root is used. It is long and brown, and
when dried, is of a pleasant smell, and aromatic
warm taste. Ji should be taken ,
p in spring.. It
is good against pains in the head, and it promotes
urine.
Round Cyperus. Cupcrus rotundus.
A PLANT in many respects resembling the other,