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L A T H R iE A Squamaria.
. Greater Tooth-wort.
D I D T N A M I A Angiofpermia•
Gen. Char. Calyx four-cleft. A depreffed gland at
the bafe of the future of the germen. Capfule of
one cell.
Spec. Char. Stem perfectly fimple. Flowers pendulous
; their lower lip three-cleft.
Syn. Lathraea Squamaria. Linn. Sp. PI. 844. Hudf.
FI. An. 266. With. Bot. Arr. 64a.
Anblatum Cordi live Aphyllon. Rail Syn. 288*.
C j A T H E R E D by the Earl of Gainfborough, in the
neighbourhood of his Lordffiip’s feat at Exton, near Stamford.
The flowers appear in April, emerging from decayed leaves
of trees, among which the plant is moftly found half buried.
The root is parafitical, and is generally attached to the roots
of elms, hafels, or fome other free, in a fhady fituation.
Having lately (tab. 48.) given a figure of the Ophrys Nidus
avis, we now exhibit the prefent plant as another of thofe
conne£ling links which combine fome families of vegetables in
many refpefts differing widely from each other. By thefe
two fpecies we can trace a line of affinity between the Didynamia
Angiofpermia of Linnaeus, and the natural order of Orchidee.
The name Tooth-wort is derived from the refemblance of the
fcaly roots of this plant to the human fore-teeth; for which
reafon it muß be good for the tooth-ach,
“ As wife philofophers have judg’d!’’