[ 1546 ]
INULA Helenium.
Elecampane.
/ o / '.
SYNGENESIA Polygamia-superflua.
G en. C h a r . Recept. nearly naked. Down simple.
Cal. imbricated. Florets o f the radius very nu*
merous, linear. Anther# with 2 bristles at the
base.
S pe c . C h a r . Leaves clasping the stem, ovate, rugged,
downy beneath. Scales o f the calyx ovate.
Sy n . Inula Helenium. Linn. Sp. PI. 1236. Sm. FI.
Brit. 891.* Huds. 368. With. 730. Hull. 185.
Relh. 330. Sibth. 255. Abbot. 183. Woodv.
Med. Bot. t. 108.
Helenium. Raii Syn. 176.
T h e w ild specimen figured in ou r plate was gathered at
L im p en h o e , N o r fo lk , b y th e R e v . G eo rg e Reading L e a th e s ,
F . L . S . in the latter end o f A u g u s t . T h e Elecampane grows
in mo ist rich pastures and meadows in several parts o f E n g lan d ,
b u t is n o t com m on . In gardens it used to b e more cultivated
than at present, for th e sake o f its ro ot, w h ich is perennial,
large and flesh y , abou nding w ith m u c ila g e , comb ined with
an a romatic bitte r flavour, and some a crim on y. T h e se q u a lities
render it u seful to promote expe c toration. In G e rm an y
it is said to be frequ en tly candied, and taken as a stom a ch ic .
T h e stems are a yard h igh or mo re , th ic k , furrowed, le a fy ,
d ow n y , branched above. L ea v e s la rge, ov a te , s ligh tly serrated,
v e in y , mo st d ow n y and w h ite beneath ; th e radical ones
on s ta lk s ; the rest c la sp ing the stem. Flow er s la rg e , te rm in
a l, so lita ry , o f a fine go lden y e llow . C a ly x -s c a le s broad,
le a fy , v e in y , e n t ir e ; th e in ne r ones n ar row . Radius c om posed
o f a mu ltitud e o f linear spreading f lo r e t s ; th e disk o f
still more numerous tubular one s. Seeds quadrangular, smooth.
D ow n ro u gh ish . Re cepta c le n o t quite smooth.