BURNET, the English name of two genera of plants, sanguisorba and poterium, belong ing to the natural order sanguisorbece (q.v). —very generally regarded as a suborder of rosaccw—which have much resemblance to one another, and receive a common name also in other languages. Sanguisorbu has hermaphrodite flowers with four stamens; in poterium, the flowers are polygamous, and the stamens indefinite in number. In both, the calyx is 4-lid, and the corolla wanting. GREAT B. (sanguisorba officinalis) is common in meadows in all parts of Europe, and not unfrequent in some parts of England, par ticularly where the soil is calcareous. It has a stem 1 to 2 ft. high, pinnate leaves, with about four pair of ovate serrated leaflets and an odd one; the flowers are crowded in dark red spikes. It is cultivated in Germany for feeding cattle, and is much esteemed for this use, as it grows well even on very poor soils, and the produce is abundant. Cattle are very fond ofit. The root is astringent, and was formerly used in medicine. Com MON B. (poterium naguisorba) grows in sunny places on hills in the middle and south of Europe, and is common hi England, especially in the chalk districts. In habit and
foliage, it much resembles the Great B., hut the leaflets are smaller and the flowers are in heads of a dull purplish color. It has been much cultivated in some parts of Eng land as a substitute for clover ou chalky soils, and is relished by cattle. It forms great part of the natural pasture of the South Downs, and of the excellent sheep-walks of Salisbury plain. It is regarded as a plant particularly suitable for poor arid soils. It is sometimes cultivated in gardens, and its leaves, which are slightly astringent, are used in salads or soups. They are said to form one of the ingredients of the famous cool tankard, and the name poterium is from Greek word signifying a drinking vessel.— Both this and the preceding are perennial plants.—There are several other species both of sanguisorba and poteriuni, some of the latter shrubby, natives chiefly of the warmer temperate parts of the world.