CULPEPER'S COMPLETE HERBAL

WATER-VIOLETS

Description. The root is a tuft of long, black, and slender fibres, which penetrate deep into the mud. The leaves are long, large and very beautifully pinnated: they consist each of ten, twelve, or more pairs of long and narrow segments, regularly dipsose, and an odd one at the end. From the base of this cluster of leaves, there generally are propogated some long, slender stalks, which take root again as they run upon the surface of the mud, and in those places send up fresh clusters of leaves. In the centre of these leaves rises the stalk which is to support the flowers; this is tall, upright, round, slender, and naked. The flowers stand in little clusters at and near the top; they are moderately large, very pretty, and of a whitish colour tinged with red. The seed is single and small.

Place. It is frequent in shallow waters that have muddy bottoms.

Time. It flowers in June.

Government and virtues. Saturn governs this plant. The leaves are cooling, externally applied; but they are more used by country-people than by physicians. The flowers are accounted a specific against the fluor albus, and are frequently made use of in a conserve or decoction for that purpose, which is to be continued for some time. Some commend the herb as of great use against the king's-evil, and all scrophulous swellings.