ERY'NGIUM*. Linnean Class and Order. PENTA'NDRIA †, DIGYNIA. Natural Order. UMBELLIFERÆ, Juss. Gen. Plant. p. 218.Sm. Gram. of Bot. p. 132.-Lindl. Syn. p. 111.; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 4.-Rich. by Macgilliv. p. 463.-Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 517.-UMBELLATE, Linn.-ROSALES; subord. ANGELICOSÆ; sect. ANGELICINE; type, ANGELICACEE; subtype, SANICULIDE; Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 614, 762, 770, 773, & 774. GEN. CHAR. Flowers (fig. 2.) congregated into oblong or roundish dense heads. Common Receptacle conical, scaly, manyflowered; each flower with a rigid, simple or 3-cleft, pointed scale (see fig. 1.) at its base. Calyx (see fig. 1.) of each flower superior, in 5 upright, leafy, pointed segments. Corolla (fig. 2.) of 5 upright, equal, oblong, channelled, converging petals, which are bent in from the middle (see fig. 3.) by a segment as long as the limb of the petal, which consequently appears emarginate. Filaments (see figs. 2 & 4.) 5, hair-like, straight, longer than the corolla. Anthers roundish-oblong, incumbent. Germen (fig. 5.) inferior, simple, oblong-egg-shaped, clothed with upright bristles. Styles (see figs. 2 & 5.) 2, thread-shaped, straight, nearly upright, shorter than the stamens, permanent. Stigmas simple. Fruit (fig. 6.) inversely egg-shaped, slightly compressed transversely. Carpels (seeds of Linn.) (see figs. 6 & 7.) covered with chaffy scales, without ridges or vitta. Seeds (fig. 9.) about half taper. Umbels simple. Involucrum of many leaves. Flowers usually blue. The solid, inversely egg-shaped fruit; the carpels covered with chaffy scales, without ridges or vitte; the pointed segments of the calyx; the upright, oblong, equal, undivided petals, with long inflexed points; the many-leaved involucrum; and the congregated flowers on a scaly common receptacle; will distinguish this from other genera in the same class and order. Two species British. ERY'NGIUM MARI'TIMUM. Sea-Eryngo. Sea-Holly. SeaHulver. Sea-Holme. SPEC. CHAR. Radical leaves on long petioles, roundish, plaited, spiny-toothed; upper ones stem-clasping, palmately lobed. Leaves of the involucrum from 5 to 7, egg-shaped, spiny-toothed, longer than the head of flowers. Scales of the receptacle 3-cleft. Engl. Bot. t. 718.-Woodv. Med. Bot. v. ii. p. 281. t. 102.-Steph. & Church. Med. Bot. v. iv. t. 143. -Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 337.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd edit.) p. 109.-Sm. Fl. Brit. v. i. p. 288. Engl. Fl. v. ii. p. 35.-With. (7th edit.) v. ii. p. 361.-Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 527.—Lindl. Syn. p. 127.-Hook. Brit. Fl. p. 135.-Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 153.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 87.-Grev. Fl. Fig. 1. Germen and Calyx, accompanied by one of the 3-cleft scales of the receptacle.-Fig. 2. Corolla, Stamens, and Pistils.-Fig. 3. One of the Petals, showing the manner in which it is bent inwards.-Fig. 4. A Stamen.-Fig. 5. Germen and Pistils.-Fig. 6. Fruit.-Fig. 7. One of the Carpels.-Fig. 8. A Carpel cut transversely.-Fig. 9. A Seed.-All magnified. * From ereugo, Gr. to belch.-DIOSCORIDES declares that the plant is a specific for all complaints arising from flatulence. G. DoN. + See Anchusa sempervirens, fol. 48. Edin. p. 61.-Thornton's Fam. Herb. p. 289.-Davies' Welsh. Bot. p. 26.— Fl. Devon. pp. 47 & 165.-Rev. G. E. Smith's Pl. of S. Kent, p. 16.—Curt. Brit. Entomol, v. ii. t. 53.-Mack. Catal. of Pl. of Ireland, p. 27.—Ery'ngium marínum, Ray's Syn. p. 222.-Johnson's Gerarde, p. 1162. LOCALITIES.-On sandy sea-shores, frequent.-Cornwall; On the sands at Hoyle; Portowen; Portreath; and Penzance: Mr. WATT. - Cumberland; Allonby, and Maryport: HUTCHINSON.-Devon ; Teignmouth, Dawlish, Slapton Sands, Sidmouth, Northam Burroughs, and near Appledore : Dr. WAVELL. On the Den at Teignmouth, plentifully, (1835): H. WOOLLCOMBE, Esq.Durham; On the beach near South Shields Law; and at Castle Eden N. J. WINCH, Esq. At Seaton: Mr. BACKHOUSE.-Essex; Near Walton: Mag. of Nat. Hist. v. iv. p. 446.-Hampshire; Ryde, Isle of Wight: Dr. BOSTOCK.Kent; On the shores, plentifully.-Lancashire; North Shore, Liverpool: Mr. CALEY. At Southport, and Crosby: G. CROSFIELD, Esq. Liverpool.-Norfolk; At Yarmouth: Mr. WOODWARD.- Sussex; On the coast at Little Hampton, (1832): Mr. W. PAMPLIN, sen.-WALES. Isle of Anglesey: Rev. H. DAVIES.-SCOTLAND. At Musselburgh; Dunbar; Largo in Fife; Mackrianish Bay in Cantire; Jona, &c.: LIGHTFOOT. St. Andrew's, &c.: Mr. ARNOTT. Coast of Ayr: Mr. MURRAY. Bute, near Mount Steward: Mr. MAUGHAN.-IRELAND. On the sea-coast in sandy places, frequent: Mr. J. T. MACKAY. Perennial.-Flowers in July and August. Root very long, creeping, cylindrical, brownish on the outside, whitish within; somewhat pungent, with a mixture of mucilage. Stem a foot or 18 inches high, round, striated, stiff, branched, leafy. Leaves smooth, glaucous, variegated with whitish veins, and bordered with spinous teeth, somewhat resembling those of the Holly, whence one of its English names; those from the root and lower part of the stem stalked, and 3-lobed; upper ones sessile, and amplexicaul. Flowers small, light blue, in roundish dense heads at the summit of the stem and branches, having, at first sight, more the appearance of a species of Teasel than of an umbelliferous plant. Common Receptacle conical, with chaffy, 3cleft, spinous scales, which are longer than the flowers, and intermixed with them. Involucrum similar to the leaves, and situated immediately under the head of flowers. Whole plant smooth, rigid, and remarkably glaucous, with an elegant blue tint. It is a native throughout Europe, among the sand along the sea shore; and on both sides of the Mediterranean Sea. LINNEUS informs us (Flora Suecica, p. 84.) that the young flowering shoots of this plant, eaten like Asparagus, are very nourishing. The leaves are sweetish, with a slight aromatic warm pungency. The roots are kept in the shops candid, and are still regarded by the Arabs as an excellent restorative. In Morant's Colchester, p. 92, we are told that Eryngo roots were first candid at Colchester, about the beginning of the 17th century, by ROBERT BUXTON, apothecary; that his apprentice, SAMUEL GREAT, continued this business, and that it has ever since been carried on by the posterity of the latter. Mr. G. DoN has described 93 species of Eryngium in his General Syst. of Gardening and Botany, most of which are very handsome, and well deserving a place in the flower garden. E. campestre, (our other English species,) dried and powdered, is said to form the principal ingredient of a remedy celebrated in Spain for the cure of the bites of vipers and mad dogs; particulars of which may be seen in the Monthly Magazine, vol. xxix. p. 414. GERARDE (as long ago as 1597) says the roots of the Sea Holly are good for such as are bitten with any venomous beast. |