ORcanette is a Root of a moderate Size and Length, of a deep red Colour on the outside, and white within, which produces green rough Leaves, like the Buglos: For this Reason some call it wild Buglos: In the middle of which arises a straight Stalk, adorn'd with little Leaves, and the Flowers, by Buds, in Form of a Star of a saint pale Blue. Chuse your Orcanette new, pliant, but yet of a deep red without, white within, with little blue Heads, and which, being rubb'd a little, wet or dry, upon the Nail, or on the Hand, makes a beautiful Vermilion.
As the Colour of the said Root lies in the Superficies, those who use it for colouring of their Wax, Ointment or Oils, prefer the small to the gross; and if it is clean, it produces a very fine red. The Orcanette grows in Provence: From thence it is brought to us, by the way of Marseilles, and Nismes in Languedoc. This Root is very useful in Physick, as well as for the Purposes aforesaid.
There is another Orcanette of the Levant, or Constantinople, which is a Root of a surprizing Nature, as well from its Size and Thickness, which grows sometimes larger than the Arm, which looks, in Appearance, to be nothing but a Mass of large long Leaves, twisted like a Roll of Tobacco; which, by the Variety of its Colours, at the first being of an obscure red, which is succeeded, in time, with a very fine Violet Colour; at the Top of which is produc'd a kind of Rottenness or Decay, white and bluish, which is, as it were, its Flower. In the middle of the said Root is found a Heart, which is a little Bark, thin and long, like Cinnamon, of a very fine red without, and white within. This Orcanette is of very little Use, but yet gives a better Colour than the common.
Anchusa puniceis floribus, or Buglossum radice rubra, five Anchusa vulgatior, by Tournefort; in French, Orcanette, is a Species of Bugloss, or a Plant which bears several Stalks above a Foot high bending to the Ground. The Leaves are like those of the wild Bugloss. The Flowers grow on the Top of the Branches; and, when they fall, are succeeded by Cups, which contain Seeds sharp'd like a Viper's Head, of an Ash-Colour: The Root is an Inch thick: The Bark is red, and whitish towards the Heart. This Plant grows in sandy Places in Languedoc and Provence. The Root is dried in the Sun, to be fit for the Druggist's Use. It makes a good Dye for Pomatums, and the like; and yields a great deal of Oil, with a little Salt: It is astringent, stops Fluxes of the Belly, being made into a Decoction. They use it outwardly for deterging, and drying up of old Ulcers.
We have brought to us oftentimes from the Levant, a kind of Orcanette, call'd Orcanette of Constantinople. This is a Sort of Root as thick and large as a Man's Arm, but of a particular Shape; for it produces a Mass of large Leaves twisted like a Tobacco Roll. In Appearance the whole looks as if it was artificial.