The American flora : or history of plants and wild flowers : containing their scientific and general description, natural history, chemical and medical properties, mode of culture, propagation , &c., designed as a book of reference for botanists, physicians, florists, gardeners, students, etc. . n the centre, orbicular entire, gla-brous, under surface palest, margins somewhat waved; j)<^duncles,longer than the petioles, erect, and scabrous ; Jioicers large, emulatingPaonia and Papavcr, white and red; fiiiit resembling an instmmentonce used in play by the French, by the very antique name Lot
The American flora : or history of plants and wild flowers : containing their scientific and general description, natural history, chemical and medical properties, mode of culture, propagation , &c., designed as a book of reference for botanists, physicians, florists, gardeners, students, etc. . n the centre, orbicular entire, gla-brous, under surface palest, margins somewhat waved; j)<^duncles,longer than the petioles, erect, and scabrous ; Jioicers large, emulatingPaonia and Papavcr, white and red; fiiiit resembling an instmmentonce used in play by the French, by the very antique name Lotos,(D. C.) It was known in early history, and was said to be a nativeof India, but is found in great abundance in all parts of China. This plant was well known to the Greeks, and is said by Herodo-tus, Theophrastus, and others, to be a native of Egypt, but no moderntraveler has observed it growing in that country. There can, how-ever, be no doubt of its having actually existed there, either naturallyor cultivated, since the terms in which it is described by those au-thors are too clear and decisive to be mistaken, and dieir accounts areconfirmed by ancient Egj^Dtian sculptures and mosaics, which are stillpreserved, and testify that from the earliest times, it as well as theVol. IV.— C ^ l£ U/^/i>^/.U7n .yArr/^ ./f^^r/ NAT. ORDER. NYMPHIACE-E. 49 proper Lotos, has obtained a relig-ious revei-ence. It is remarkablethat neither Herodotus nor Theophrastus, the most ancient wi-iters bywhich it is described, have attributed any sacred character to it, butspeak of it as only used as food by the Eg-yjitians. Both root andseeds are esculent, sapid and wholesome. They are accounted cool-ing and strengthening, and to be of service in extreme thirst, diarrhcEa,tenesmus, vomiting and too gi-eat internal heat. In China it is calledLienwlw, and the seeds and slices of the hairy root, with the kernelsof apricots and walnuts, and alternate layers of ice were frequentlypresented to the
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, booksubjectmedicinalplants, booksubjectplants
