Toad Flax.
Linaria.
A common wild plant, with narrow bluish leaves, and thick spikes of yellow flowers It grows on dry banks, and is a foot and half high. The stalk is round and thick, firm, upright, and single. The leaves stand irregularly; they are oblong, narrow, smooth, not dented at the edges, and pointed at the ends: the flowers stand in a short and thick spike; they are large, and many of them are generally open together; they have a spur behind, and their forepart is of two yellows, a darker in the middle, and a paler on each side.
The tops are used fresh gathered, or the whole herb dried. An infusion of them is excellent against the jaundice, and all inward obstructions; it gently promotes the menses, and works by urine. A fine cooling ointment is made by boiling the fresh plant chopped to pieces in lard, till it be crisp; the lard is then to be strained off, and is of a fine green colour.
