LION.
LEONTODON Linnai Gen. PL S y n g e n e s ia . P o l y g a m i a Æ q u a l is .
Rail Synopfis, ed. 3 , Gen. 6. H e r b æ f l o r e c o m p o s i t o , n a t u r æ p l e .n o
LACTESCENTES.
LEONTODON Taraxacum calycis fquamis inferne reflexis, foliis runcinatis denticulatis lævibus.
Linnai Syfi. Vegetab. p. 5 9 6 . Sp. Plant. 1122. Ft. Suec. 270.
TARAXACUM calycibus glabris, fquamis irais reflexis. Haller Hiß. z1. 1. p. 56.
HEDYPNOIS Taraxacum. Scopoli Flor. Cam. n. 057.
HEDYPNOIS major Fuchffi.
DENS LEONIS iatiore folio. Bauhin. Pin. p. 126. Gerard, emac. 290. Parkinfon 780. Raii Syn.
ed. 3' p‘ 17®• Hudfon Fl. Angl. p. 297. Oeder FI. Dan. Icon. 574.
£ApiX perennis, fubfufiformis, la&efcens, externe
■ pallide fufca.
ÖLIA laciniato-pinnatifida, plus aut minus profunde
B incifa, laciniis acutis et acute dentatis, plerum-
■ que lasvia, nonnunquam vero fubafpera.
■ pi nudi, fiftulofi, la&efcentes, verfus apicem fub-
■ tomentofi, uniflori.
|LYX communis lasvis, glaucus, fquamis inferiori-
bus reflexis, Jig. 1.
lOLLA compofita, flava, corollulis hermaphrodi-
tis, numerofis, - aequalibus. Propria mono-
petala, ligulata, truncata, quinquedentata,
ƒ£•>.'-
■ MINA: Filamenta quinque, capillaria, brevif-
fima, fig. 3. A nther as flavas, in tubum
cylindraceum cbalitas, fig. 4.
t ’lLLUM: Germen oblongum, fig. q. Stylus
longitudine corollas,fig. 6. S tigmata duo
revoluta* fig. 7. <
fcN fubincurvatum, fubcompreflum, fubtetrago-
num, ftriatum, apice echinatum, pallide oliva-
ceum, fig. 8, 9. Pappus ftipitatus, fimplex,
ftipite brevior, fig. 10.
lEPTACULUM nudum, alveolatum, fig. 11.
f ROOT perennial, tapering, milky, externally of a pale
brown colour,
V LEAVES more or lefs deeply jagged, each jag or Ja-
© cinia pointed, and ffiarply indented, generally
© fmobth,- but fometimes a little rough.
© STALKS naked, hollow, milky, towards the top co-
V vered with a kind of down, fupporting one
® ' flower on each.
CALYX: the common or general Calyx fmooth, glaucous,
the lowermofi leaves or fquama turning
back, fig . 1.
COROLLA: the flower compounded o f a great number
of Corollulas or lefler flowers, which
are yellow, ^hermaphrodite and equal ; each
Corollulce monopetalous, tubular at bottom,
and'flat towards the extremity, the apex truncated
and quinquedentate', fig. 2.
STAMINA: five Fil am en t s fmall and very ffiort,
figr 3; The A ’n t h e 11/e yellow; uniting and
forming a cylindrical tube, fig. m
PISTILLUM: G ermen oblong, fig. q. S t y l e the
length of the Co roll a , fig. 6. Stigmata
two, rolling back, fig. 7.
SEED a little crooked, flattiffi, and fomewhat four
Cornered, ftriated or grooved, at top prickly^ of
a pale olive colour,ģ. 8, 9. th t Dozen or Pappus
ftanding on a foot-ftalk, Ample, not feathery,
ffiorter than the foot-ftalk, fig. 10.
RECEPTACLE naked, and full of Jittle holes, fig. 11.
a medicinal plant the Dandelion is thought to poflefs confiderable virtues, and has been frequently made
| | f ln obltructipns of the Vjfcera, particularly the Jaundice. Some recommend the juice, others a decoaion
Ihe whole plant. It appears to operate chiefly by urine, and, from poffeffing this property in a confiderable
■ ee, it has acquired its vulgar name of Pifs-a-bed. Its other, and more common name, feems to be a cor-
|pn of the French term Dent de Lion.
Ja kmd of falad, this plant is by many preferred to any other, particularly by the inhabitants o f Spitalfields,
ml whom being defeended from French families,.that forfook their native country for one more favourable
Bgious liberty, ftill retain the peculiar cuftoms o f that people in their diet, &c. They blanch or whiten it as
aideners do Endive, and the inferior clafs generally üfethe Ample procefs of laying a tile On it; for whatever
.des the light from this, or any other plant, will make it become white, all plants deriving their colours
Uhe fountain of light, the fun. And it is remarkable, that many plants containing bitter and acrid juices are
■ red by this procefs mild, fweet, and agreeable : who, for inftance, could eat endive, celery, or even lettuce
■ eir wild uncultivated Hates ?
Be Dandelion grows in the greateft plenty in rich meadows although it is very common on walls, and i
I f . a.reas; When growing in a barren foil or dry fituation, the leaves become more narrow and jaggeo.
■ Jwers m May, and is the firft plant which covers our meadows with a beautiful yellow coat: a few weeks
I E M B 11 Proc^ucel^ *ts feed, it changes this for a white one.
Be (Ml! req!f f ly amufe themfelves with blowing off the feeds, which ftand naked on the receptacle or top
B{e 3 ’ . round white heads, formed by the expanfion of their pappus or down, they call clocks.
in young Botajiift generally finds feme difficulty in acquiring a clear idea of the ftru&ure of thefe compound
■ > ccaiioned by the minutenefs o f the parts of fruclification, which however are much larger and more
■ B C U O U S i n -----_ r .i_________ 1 _r. o _________ 1 .v . r n r- .
jicuousm this than in many others o f the clafs S yn g e n e s ia , and therefore a proper flower for him to beg
j. b e f l f l ®ower ° f the Dandelion he will find that it is not a double flower, properly fo called, as he
BdrhM t0 uv ^ ^rom *ts ; but that it is compofed of a great number of Flofculi, or lefler flowers,
e Pr ron one common receptacle or bottom, and enclofed by one common or general calyx. On
'■ aci ot thefe Flofculi, he will find them to confift of a Corolla, or Petal, fig. 2. which at bottom is- )Ut tnufarAc »L« «...__' n . .1 . r .1 1 . . ^ „ _
■ whieh n r i f u ic u uuum 01 muu iar p a it or me i_.oroua, nv e MLAMENTS
SJu’e, a.re Iraall and Ihort, yet Ioofe and unconneftcd, fig. 3. that thefe filaments are fnrnifhed with
lire reel unne together and form a longflender tub i.fig. 4. Beneath the Corolla is,placed the G ermen.
i'itldle oFH li 5' l ™hcnce the Sty le, or middle part of the Piftillum, proceeds, and paffes up through
d [s fiirnilhe 1 hower, betwixt the Filaments, and through the tube formed by the union of the Anthers, Jig. 6.
i'r'paitofth ae t0iP "'“ r tw0 Stigmata which roll back, Jig. 7. At a little difiance from the Germen, the
i>'Ihen h, me V s ih'Touncled by numerous upright hairs, which are the future Pappus, or Down, Jig. to.
lofe p’ ' r 'l , 1 n t0 lh.e appearance o f the parts of fructification in a full-blown flower.
Meed, havin0' ™e “ ow-er which were more immediately or more remotely neceffary to the impregnation of
the Sg Per'ormed their office, decay, the Corolla with the Stamina and upper part of the Piftillum
l^ h ofthePrnn^0“ “ jar| er» /hs lower part of the Piftillum remains, is elongated, and becomes the
d prefled