# A Voyage to the Islands Madera, Barbados, Nieves, S. Christophers and Jamaica/Volume 1/Book 1/Chapter 12

Chap. XII.
Of Herbs which are of the Kindred of Umbelliferous Plants.
I. Valerianella folio subrotundo, flore purpureo, semine oblongo, striato, aspero. Cat. p. 91. Hogweed.
The Root is single, very strong and deep, sending forth many Branches, lying along the surface of the Earth, on every side for a Foot or two in Diameter. The Stalks are red, round, succulent, like those of Purslane, jointed. At every joint are two Branches, and Leaves opposite one to another, set on one third part of an Inch long red Foot-Stalks. They are almost round, three quarters of an Inch Diameter, succulent, green with purple, and now and then curled edges, and smooth, on the tops of the Branches are a great many purple or scarlet Flowers, set close by one another in the same Head, and after them succeed so many brown, oblong, striated, and very rough Seeds.
It grows in gravelly Low Lands about the Town, and in most gravelly Soils in all the Plantations of the Island.
Hogs feed on this Herb with much delight: whence 'tis gather'd, and brought to them to their Styes to fatten them.
II. Valerianella alsines folio scandens, floribus pallide luteis pyxidatis in Umbellæ modum dispositis, semine aspero Cat. p. 91. An Valerianella Carassavica semine aspero viscoso? Herm. par. Bat. prod. p. 382. par. Bat. Plukenet. Phyt. Tab. 133. Fig. 7? An Pseudovaleriana Curassavica semine aspero viscoso. Bob. Hist. Ox. part. 3. p. 105?
The lower part of the main Stem of this Plant is as big as ones Arm, having a furrowed white Bark. The Stalk takes hold of any Palisadoe or Tree it comes near, and branches at the top, it rising seven or eight Foot high. The Branches are many, round, red or green, and brittle, hanging downwards. The Leaves come out at the joints, and are in every thing like those of our greater sort of Chickweed. The tops of the Twigs send out several Raies or Foot-Stalks, as from their common Center, like the Umbelliferæ, sustaining each one small, greenish, yellow Flower, like a small Cup, being round, undivided, and almost like Muscus pyxidatus in shape. After which comes a final, long, brown Seed, almost like those of some Umbelliferæ, growing larger from the beginning to the top, and being a little rough.
​Page:Books from the Biodiversity Heritage Library (IA mobot31753000820123).pdf/382 ​Spike, are yellow, the Petala being long and like those of our European Agrimony, only narrower. After these follow on a crooked Foot-Stalk, several brown round Burs, thick set with hooked prickles, sticking to any thing like the seeds of Agrimony.
It grows about the Town of St. Jago de la Vega, and in several other places of this Island.
In my Catalogue I plac'd this amongst the Plants of the Kindred of the Umbelliferæ, as most of the best Botanists have done before me, so that Dr. Plukenet might have sav'd himself the trouble of his long Paragraph upon this occasion in p. 112. and 113. of his Mantissa.
VI. Cotyledon aquatica. Cat. p. 93. Ranunculo affinis umbelliferis accedens in palustribus folio peltato repens Americana & nostras. Pluken. Alm. p. 314. Valerianellæ cognata folio cotyledonis. Herm. par. Bat. Cat. p. 13. Hydrocotyle Vulgaris. Tournef. Inst. p. 328.
Out of every half Inch of a round, small Root, creeping under the surface of the Earth, at the joints, are a great many very small hairy, blackish fibers, by which the Plant is nourished, and from the same places are sent up the Leaves and Flowers Foot-Stalks, which are sometimes one, sometimes more, round, greenish, and four Inches long. The Leaves are round, thick, sinuated on the edges, smooth, of an Inch Diameter, very green, their Foot-Stalk entring in their very Center, from whence some Nerves are sent to the Circumference. The Flowers stand close together round their Foot-Stalks end. They are many, all near join'd to one another on almost no Foot-Stalks, and are of a greenish colour. In a short time appear the Seeds, being broad, of the shape of Parsnep-Seeds, striated, and standing on Foot-Stalks, taking their beginning from the great Foot-Stalks end, like the Umbelliferæ.
I can observe no difference between this and Cotyledon aquatica Joannis Bauh.
It grows in several places along the moist Banks of the Rio Cobre, in most Marshes or wet Grounds in the Caymanes, and other places of this Island.
This Plant is sharp to the tast, and has been taken by some of the Planters in place of Scurvygrass, by using its distill'd water as Spirit of Scurvygrass.
It has subtle and hot parts, pleasant and Aromatick to the tast. Its chief Vertues are in the Roots, which are opening. They open Obstructions of Liver and Reins, and help a hot Constitution, so that no Remedy is more proper. The juice of the green Leaves is esteem'd by the Inhabitants a famous Antidote, and they procure Vomit with it, as we do with the juice of Asarabacca Leaves. Piso.
It is us'd to take away the marks called Os Figados by the Portuguese, which I suppose are Liver marks. Marcgr.
Gerard says that it was called Sheeps Bane by the Husbandmen, for that it kill'd the Sheep feeding on it, and therefore is angry with Apothecaries for using it for Wall-Penniwort alledging it would be more pernicious to Men than Sheep.
Lobel and Dod. tell us that they used it for Cotyledon in the Ung. Populn. both for ignorance and want of the true Cotyledon.
It is sharp and exulcerating, therefore not to be used, or called Cotyledon, but Ranunculus. Col.
It is called White-Rot, because it kills Sheep feeding on it. Park.