Hermodactyl Plant.

Botanical name: 

Hermodactylus.

A beautiful plant, having more the aspect of a garden flower, but it is common wild in the East. The root is roundish, but flatted, and indented at the bottom, and smaller at top. The leaves are small and broad; they are sharp at the point, and of a deep green colour. The flowers are large and of a whitish colour, veined and striped with purple; this is the best account we have received of the plant, but part of it comes with less authority than one would wish to things of this kind. The root is dried and sent to us.

It is a gentle purgative, but it is less used at this time than many others. It has been in more repute, perhaps with reason.


The Family Herbal, 1812, was written by John Hill.