Flora Medica

ADENOSTTLES.An herbaceous perennial. Leaves stalked, cordate, toothed, smoothon both sides ; petioles half amplexicaul, but not furnished with appendagesat the base. Corymbs fastigiate. Heads 3-6-flowered.The leaves have been recommended in coughs.TUSSILAGO.Head many-flowered,, heterogamous;florets of the ray ? ,inmany rows, very narrowly ligulate of the disk $ ; ,few in number,tubular, with a campanulate 5-toothed limb. Receptaclenaked. Involucral scales in about 1 row, oblong, obtuse. Anthersscarcely tailed.Styles of the disk inclosed, abortive ;ofthe ray bifid, with taper arms. Achaenium of the ray oblongcylindrical,smooth, of the disk abortive. Pappus of the ray inmany rows, of the disk in 1 row, consisting of very fine setae.DC.913. T. FarfaraLinn.sp.pt. 1214. Eng. Bot. t. 429. SmithEng. FL iii. 425. DC. prodr. v. 208. Various parts of Eu-the Crimea, Persia, Siberia, the Eastrope, Indies, from the seashore to elevations of nearly 8000 feet. (Coltsfoot)Rhizoma mucilaginous, bitterish, creeping horizontally, with manyfibres. Flower-heads coming before the leaves; drooping in the bud, brightyellow, about an inch broad ; the rays spreading, copious, very narrow.Each flower-head on a simple, round, woolly, radical stalk, scaly withnumerous, reddish, smooth, scattered bracteas, crowded under thehead, like an exterior involucre. Leaves erect, on furrowed, channelledfootstalks, heart-shaped, slightly lobed, copiously and sharply toothed ;very smooth, of a slightly glaucous green above; pure white anddensely cottony, with prominent veins, beneath ;when young they arerevolute, and thickly enveloped in cottony down. The leaves eithersmoked like Tobacco, or taken in infusion, have been employed againstdyspnoea. It is a demulcent bitter and acts by soothing irritation of theair passages. Mr. Pereira calls it a very slighttonic.ERIGERON.Head many-flowered, radiant ;ligulae ? ,in several rows,linear, as long, or longer than the disk ; florets of the disk tubular,regular, either all 1c/ ;or the outer ? and the central g",or perhaps $ by abortion. Receptacle naked, dotted, with thesockets of the florets fringed. Achaenium compressed, not naked.Pappus hairy, rough, in 1 row, (orin 2 rows ? the innermostbeing very short.)DC.914. E. philadelphicum Linn.sp.pl. 1211. Pursh. ii. 533.Elliott sketch ii. 396. DC. prodr. v. 285. E. amplexicaulePoir. suppl. v. 464 Common in North America, in pasturesand fields from Canada to Carolina.Root perennial. Stem 1-2 feet high, slightly furrowed, downy withspreading hairs. Leaves of the root cuneate-obovate, sometimes deeplysinuate, the upper becoming gradually entire, oblong-lanceolate, andamplexicaul. Involucral leaves subulate. Heads in a loose corymb.453 G G 3