CONVALLARIA Linn. Gen. PL Hexandria Monogynia.
Cor. fexfida, Bacca maculofa ^-Iocularis.
Raii Syn. Gen. 16. Herb/e Baccifer.e.
CONVALLARIA majalis fcapo nudo. Linn. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 275. Spec, Plant, p. 451. Flor. Suec.
n .292. •
pOLYGONATUM fcapodiphylIo,floribusfpicatis,nutantibus,campaniformibus. Haller Hiß. n. 1241.
CONVALLARIA majalis, Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 418,
LILIUM convallium album. Bauh, Pin. p. 304.
LILIUM convallium. Ger. emac.p. 410. flore albo, Parkivf. Parad.p. 349. Raii Syn. p. 264. Lily-
convally or May Lily. Hudfon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 146. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 182, 1
perennis, fibrofa, fibris plurimis, teretibus, 1
* tranfverjitn rugofis, horizontaliter paulo infra i
terram in longum extenfis, repentibus. 1
1ÆÆ quatuor, vel quinque, fubnervofæ, purpu- (
" rafcentes, alternas, bafin foliorum et fcapi (
obveffiunt et colligant.
[a bina, petiolata, ovata, utrinque acuta, erefta, <
lævia, nervofa, altero plerumque majori, læte (
viridia, petiolis teretibus, exteriore punÊlis
rubris adfperfo, tubulofo ad recipiendum in- ,
teriorem folidum.
aJS lateralis, longitudine foliorum, ereftus, nu-
dus, lasvis, femicylindraceus.
•CTÆA lanceolata, membranacea, fub fingulo
pedunculo, pedunculo brevior.
jfES fex, five octo, racemofi, nutantes, albi feu ,
lutefcentês, odorati.
I nCULI uniflori, teretes, filiformes.
|X nullus.
ULLA monopetala, globofo-campanulata. Lim-
1 bus fexfidus, laciniis obtufiufculis, reflexis, [
. h- !•
ÎINA: Filament a fex, fubulata, petalo inferta,
corolla breviora. A ntheræ oblongæ, erec- 1
tæ, biloculares, flavæ, longitudine fuamento-
mm, Jig. 2.
ILLUM: Ger men fubrotundum, viride. S t y lus
filiformis, fiaminibus longior. Stigma
obtufum, trigonum, fig. 3.
CARPIUM: Bacca globofa, majufcula, rubra, 1
I trilocularis, pojyfperma, Jig. 4. 1
'NA quinque et ultra, majufcula, lutefcentia, hinc 1
convexa, inde plana feu angulata, Jig. 5, 6.
ROOT perennial, fibrous, fibres numerous, round,
tranfverfely wrinkled, extending horizontally
juft below the furface of the earth, and creeping
to a confiderable diftance.
SCALES four or five flightly ribbed, purplifh, alternate
fcales furround and bind together the
bafe of the leaves and ftalk.
LEAVES growing two together, {landing on foot-
ftalks, pointed at each end, upright, fmooth,
ribbed, one generally larger than the other,
of a bright green colour, foot-ftalks round,
the outermoft dotted with red, and tubular
to receive the inner one which is folid.
S T A LK lateral, the length of the leaves, upright, na-*
ked, fmooth, femicylindrical.
FLORAL-LEAF lanceolate, membranous, under each
flower ftalk, fhorter than the flower-ftalk.
FLOWERS fix or eight, growing in a racemus, hanging
down, white or yellowifh, and fweet-fcented.
FLOWER-STALKS one flowered, round, and filiform.
CALYX wanting.
COROLLA monopetalous, roundifh, bell-fhaped.
The Limb divided into fix obtufe reflexed
fegments, fig. 1.
STAMINA: fix Filaments tapering, inferted into the
petal, and fhorter than the corolla. A nthe-
RiE oblong, upright, bilocular, yellow, the
length of the filaments, Jig. 2.
PISTILLUM: G ermen roundifh, green. Style filiform,
longer than the ftamma. Stigma obtufe,
and three-cornered, Jig. 3.
SEED-VESSEL; a round, largifh, red BERRY,having
three cavities, and containing many feeds,fig. 4.
SEEDS five and more, largifh, yellowifh, convex on
one fide, and flat or angular on the other,
fig- 5 .6-
SN.EUS, in his Flora Lapponica, p. 80. gives his reafons at large for uniting in one genus the Lilium Con-.
f> $1 Polygonatum, and Unifohum, and for adopting the name Convallaria.
p of the Valley claims our notice as an ornamental and a medicinal plant. As an ornamental one,
|e held in greater eftimation: indeed, few are the flowers which can boaft fuch delicacy with fuch fragrance;
[lately it is moft eafy of cultivation, requiring only to be placed in the fhady part or a garden, and to be
Med now and then, when the roots are. two much matted together to produce flowers freely. It bears
| admirably in pots, and hence the curious may have it in bloflom at leaft two months in the year.
|reis a variety of it with reddifh flowers and double blofloms. In its wild ftate it is feldom feen in berry;
|>duces them readily when cultivated. Like many of thofe plants which are eagerly fought after it is now
|erather fcarce in the neighbourhood of London. In Mr. R a y ’s time it grew plentifully on Hampftead^
I r 1Sjnow fParingty found there. In Lord Mansfield’s wood, near the Spaniard, it may be met with in
l abundance; nor is it uncommon in the woods about Dulwich. It flowers in May and June,
i owers readily impart their fragrance, as well as a penetrating bitterifh tafte, both to watery and fpiri-
l enitrua. Their odorous matter, like that of the white Lily, is very volatile, being totally diflipated in
[r pH’ an<i e]evated in diftillation; nor does the diftilled fpirit turn milky on the admixture of water, as
ao which are impregnated with aftual oil. The pungency and bitternefs, on the other hand, refide
L at[er> which remains entire both in the watery and lpirituous extracts, and which in this concentrated
jvPFoaches, as Cartheuser obferves, to hepatic Aloes.
Ibiili ^ ^rom P S volatile parts of thefe flowers, that medicinal virtues have been expefted in nervous
|n l! oiforders: but probably their fixt parts alfo, which have no fmell, have perhaps the greateft
Iftro e\T a cacy> The flowers, dried and powdered, and thus divefted of their odoriferous principle,.
“ernutatory. Watery or fpirituous extra6ls made from them, given in dofes of a fcruple or half
| | | | as gentle ftimulating aperients and laxatives, and feem to partake of the purgative virtue as well as
( oq^ ■ s °f Aloes.
■ ots pofTels a greater degree of bitternefs, and a fimilar purgative quality, Lewis's Mat,-Med.