Sp i ræà U lma r i a . M e a d o w - Swe e t .
SPIRAEA Lin. Gen. PL I cosandria Pen tag yn ia .
Cal. |,-fidus. Petala 5. Cap/, polyfpermae.
Rail Syn. Gen.15. Her b e semine nudo po l y spe rm y .
SPIRAEA Ulmaria foliis pinnatis : impari majore Iobato, floribus cymofis. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p.
• 393. Sp. PI. p. ] 02. FI. Suec. 11. 440.
FILIPENDULA foliis pinnatis, acute ferratis, minimis intermiftis, extrema trilobata maxima.
Haller, hift, n. 1135.
SPIRAEA Ulmaria Scopoli FI. Cam. n. 603.
BARBA CAPRI floribus compa&is. Bank. Pin. 164.
ULMARIA L B . III. 488.
REGINA PRATI Ger. emac. p. 1043;
ULMARIA vulgaris.’ Parkin/, gg2. Raii Syn. p. 259. Meadow-Sweet. Hud/on FI. Angl. ed. 2.
p. 217. Lightfoot FI. Scot. p. 259.
RADIX perennis, craflitie minimi digiti, obliqua, $
rubicunda, fibris plurimis ex fufco lutefcen- $
tibus defcendentibus inftru6la. . $
0
CAULIS bi feu tripedalis et ultra, ere&us, foliofus, 0
angulatus, glaber, hinc inde rubicundus, |
plerumque fimplex. ‘ X0
FOLIA alterna, petiolata, pinnata, 3-vel 5-juga : f
foliolis oppofitis, feflilibus, ovato-oblbngis, ?
fupra viridibus, glabris, lucidiufculis,, line- |
atis, minutim venulofis, rugofis, fubtus ner- $
vofis, minutim tomentofis, cinereis, margine $
incifo-dentatis, undique ferratis, minutim §
. ciliatis ; terminatis foliolo majore, trifido- |
palmato. $
0
PETIOLI fubtus convexi, fupra concavi ; radicales 4
triplo longiores. f
• • . <i>
STIPULÆ amplexicaules, acutæ, margine undique |
ferratæ, minutim ciliatæ ; partiales in petiolo $
communi intra fingulum par pinnarum, fub \
oppofitæ, parvæ, inequales magnitudine, |
; ovatæ, dentato-ferratæ, pariter fubtus to- $
mentofæ; \ -, |
CORYMBUS terminalis, ere&us, minutim pübefcens, 4
pedpnculatus, nudus, compofltus e cymis |
plurimis inæqualibus, intermedia feflili. f
CALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, fubcampa-|
nulatum, ad lèntem pubefcens, pallidum, 4
quinqyefidum, laciniis ovatis, acutis, demum |
’ reflexis, fig. ï>. $0
COROLLA: Petala quinque, albida, oblongo- |
rotundata, unguiculata, patentia, calyce
duplo longiora, fig. 2. |
STAMINA: Filamenta viginti plura, filiformia, f
flavefcentia, longitudine corollas, calyci in-
ferta. A nther æ fubrotundæ, flavefcentes,
i jiff. 3.
PISTILLUM.: G ermina quinque, fex, five plura; <!>
St y l i totidem, fuperne incrafl’ati, reflexa; |
•Stigm a ta capitata, fig. 4. q
PERICARPIUM : Capsulas plurimæ, fpiraliter con- \
tortæ, fig. 5. . J
RO OT perennial, the thicknefs of the little finger,
oblique, reddifh, furnilhed with numerous
fibres of a brownifh-yellow colour, running,
deep into the earth.-
S T A LK from two to three feet high or more, upright,
leafy, angular, fmooth, here and there
of a reddifh colour, for the mofl part unbranched.
LEAVES, alternate, Handing on foot-flalks, pinnated,
pinnae from three to five pair,, oppofite, fef-
file, ovato-oblong, above green, fmooth and
fomewhat fhining, minutely veined, and
wrinkled, the veins imprefled, beneath
ribbed, covered with an am-coloured downy
fubftance, the edge jagged, ferrated, and
finely edged with hairs, the terminal pinna
large and deeply divided into three fegments.
LEAF-STALKS convex beneath, concave above,
thofe of the radical leaves three times as Jong
as the others.
STIPUL^E ftem-clafping, pointed, ferrated, and finely
edged with hairs, the partial ones on the
common foot-ftalk betwixt each pair of
pinnae, nearly oppofite, fmall, unequal in
fize, ovate, indented or ferrated, and like
the pinnae downy underneath.
CORYMBUS terminal, upright, flightly pubefcent,
{talked, naked, compofed of feveral - unequal
eymae, the intermediate one feflile.
C A L YX : a Perianthium of one leaf, fomewhat
bell-lhaped, if magnified flightly downy, of
a pale colour, divided into five fegments,
which are ovate, pointed, and finally re-
flexed, fig. 1.
CO RO L LA : five whitifh Petals, oblong, roundifh,
clawed, fpreading twice the length of the
calyx, Jig. 2.
S TAM IN A : twenty Filaments or more, filiform,
yellowifh, the length of the corolla, inferted
into the calyx. A ntheras nearly round,
and yellowilh, Jig. 3.
PISTILLUM: G ermina five, fix, or more; Styles
as many, thickened above and turned back;
S tigmata forming little heads, Jig. 4.
SEED-VESSEL : Capsules feveral, twined together
fpirally, fig. 5.
The Meadow-Sweet has been juftly celebrated for its fragrance and beauty, the agreeable odour which the
w ? e P'.a®5’ k:Ut more particularly the flowers, diflufe, has recommended it for the purpofe of fcenting rooms,
r*1 Purifymg the air, by Brewing it on the floors ; it is faid not to affeft the head like other perfumes: the
leaves alfo, likp thofe Of Burnet, impart an agreeable flavour to wine and other liquors.
s ari ornamental plant, it has long held a place in our gardens, not only in its wild ftate, but with
variegated leaves and double flowers.
V H P T ? *ts c^a*m a^° P°r medicinal virtues, which, however, do not appear to be of the mofl powerful-
wnd; the letives are recommended as mildly aftringent, and ufeful in Dyfenteries the flowers are faid to
e antilpafmodic and diuretic : their pleafant fmell-, in which their virtue refides, is foon diffipated by keeping.
t grows plentifully in wet meadows and by the fides of ponds and ditches, flowering from July to September.
- or es an^ ^ ne are ||f§| to refufe it, fheep to eat it, and goats to be particularly fond of it; as it forms a
°^eat, Pa'1,: ° f the paflurage.in fome meadows, it is of confequence for the hufbandman more clearly to afcertain
wnether horfes and cows refufe the young foliage, and whether they rejeft the whole plant when made into hay,
II >. e aaJ e frequently, obferved fmall red tubercles on the leaves, which we have fuppofed to be oceafioned-
Dy fome fpecies of Cyriips. - 1