T A M U S communis.
Black Bryony.
D I O T L C I A Hexandria.
Gen. Char. Male. Calyx in fix fegments. Cor. none.
Female. Cal. in fix fegments. Cor. none. Style
three-cleft. Berry inferior, three-celled. Seeds two
in each cell.
Spec. Char. Leaves heart-fhaped, undivided.
§ y n. Tamus communis. Linn. Sp. PI. 1458. Hudf
R . An. 4 3 3 . With. Bot. Arr. m g. R
Cant. 370.
Tamnus racemofa, flore minore luteo-pallefcente.
R a n Syn. 262.
C o m m o n in fhady thickets, hedges, and woods in moll
parts o f England, but not in Scotland, nor the more northern
countries o f Europe, though on the contrary it is found as far
fouth as Algiers and the Levant.
T h e root is blackilh externally, whence its ancient denomination
Bryonia nigra, and the Engliih name. The Items twine
about every thing in their way, and fo afeend without tendrils
to the tops o f the more lofty bullies, which their feftoons of
tawny leaves and red berries decorate agreeably in autumn.
Its flowers appear in June, the barren and fertile ones on fe -
parate roots, which Mr. Goodyer, an obferving and accurate
friend o f Gerarde’s, feems firft to have noted. See Ger.
eraac. 871. T h e berries are infipid, root acrid, and its pulp
feraped has been formerly ufed as 3 Itimulating plajfter.