RADIX perennis, in terrain re&e defcendens, fufifor- i>
mis, craflkie digiti intermedii, foris fordide Ç
fufca, intus flavefcens, in junioribus fimplex, V
in annofis multiplex, ramofa.
CAULIS tripedalis, ere&us, ad bafin ufque ramollis, |
teres, lævis, fuperne fcabriufculus, fulcatus, f
folidus, geniculatus, geniculis ftipulis obfo- 9
ïetis, marcefcentibus veflitis. • X
FOLIA radicalia, cordato-ovata, petiolata, obtufiuf- X
cula, fubtus venofa, nervo medio faepius ru- |
berrimo, caulina acuta, fubundulata. ©
PETIOLI fubtus rotundati, fuperne plano-concavi. f
RACEMI florum axillares, fubere&i, nudiufculi. |
CALYX: Per ian th ium triphyllum, foliolis lanceo- §
latb-linearibus, concayis, margine membra- V
naceis, corollä brevioribus. 9
COROLLA: Pe t a l a tria, ovata, öbtufiufcula, pa- X
tentia, margine membranacea. 6
STAMINA: Fi l am e n t a fex, breviflima, alba; A n- ©
theræ fublineares, flavae, apice bifidae. f
PISTILLUM: G e rm en trigonum; S t y l i très, ca-.9
pillares, reflexi, inter rimas petalorum con- X -
niventium exferti; S t ig m a t a laciniata. ç
PERICARPIUM nullum : Corolla trivalvis, conni- ©
vens, includens fernen; valvulis ovato-acutis, V
venofis, margine deriticulatis, unica grani- 9
fera, fig. l , 2, 3. ' ; I
SEMEN unicum, triquetrum, fufcum. |
ROOT perennial, running deeply into the earth, tapering,
the thicknefs o f thé middle finger,
on the outfide of a dirty brown colour,
internally yellowifh, in the young ones
fimple, in the old ones divided into many
branches.
STA LK three feet high, upright, branched down to
the bottom, round, fmooth, upwards flighily
round, grooved, fólid, and jointed, joints covered
with obfolete, withered ftipulae.
LEAVES next the root of an heart lhaped oval form,
Handing on footftalks, bluntilh, veiny underneath,
the middle generally very red, thofe
on the ftalk pointed and fomewhat waved.
LEAF-STALKS round underneath, above piano
^concave.
FLOWER-BRANCHES, proceeding from the alas
of the leaves, nearly upright, and furnilhed
with but few leaves.
CAL YX: a P e r ia n th iu m of three leaves, which are
of a Ihape betwixt lanceolate and linear,
hollow, membranous at the edges, and fhort-
er than the corolla.
COROLLA: three oval P e t a l s , bluntilh, fpreading,
membranous at the edges.
STAMINA: fix Filaments, very fhort and white;
A n t h e r .® fomewhat linear, yellow and
forked at top.
PISTILLUM: G ermen three cornered, S t y l e s
three, very fine, turning back, and projeót-
ing from betwixt the clofed petals.
SEED-VESSEL none: the Corolla, which is eom-
pofed of three valves, clofes and contains
the feed: the valves are oval, pointed, and
veiny, toothed on the edge, one of them
bearing a granule, fig. 1, 2, 3:
SEED fingle, three cornered and brown, Jig. 4.
J | j | aH our Englilh Docks, this perhaps may be faid to be the mod common, and confidered as a weed the
| pernicious, being the largeft and molt fpreading, except the Water Dock, and refufed by cattle in gene-
; ph hence the Hulbandman who wilhes to fee his grounds neat and'clean has a rooted enmity to it, and for
j 1,s.deitru6lion an inftrument, called a.Docking Iron, has been invented by fome one more ingenious than the
I Kit, which is frequently made ufe of: the purpofe of this 1 . ^ ^ , J " “ j* » ■***“ liinnfntr uuumiyeunit. "is tkov Vd* r. a, wv the plant uu p^ by the 1roUoVtI,, fX rl oVJ mlIJL
,.1 .€a’ that if it was cut down ever fo clofe, while any part of the root remained, it would grow again; but
ls idea has perhaps been too haftily affumed, frequent mowing mojl certainly dcjlroys it, and frequent fpud-
lng it is prefumed would have the fame effe&, but unlefs it be done carefully, and at ftated periods, little
I fn " f e ll ° f cultivated ground, in farm-yards, courts; by the fides of ditches, and elfewhere, we find this
j P cies moft abundantly; it flowers at the latter end of June, and ripens its feed in July and Auguft.
I euin?r’ Pre^ent plant is fubjefl: to as little variety as any of the Docks, its broad bottom leaves readily diftin-
I var if ’ anc^ ^hefe, though they may differ fomewhat in fize according as the foil is more or lefs luxuriant,
I y out little in their Ihape; in general the younger the plant the more obtufe are its radical leaves.