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Show 43° The Hiflory of P L A N T S, leaved umbellated-flowered Saponaria. 5· The broader-leaved Saponaria; and, 6, The oblong-leaved Saponaria. SCLERANTHUS. T HE calyx is a tubulated, permanent perianthium, forme~ of one leaf, and divided into five fegments : there is no corolla : the fiamma are te.n very fmall, eretl, fubulated filaments, inferted into the calyx: the antherre are roundu'h ; the germen is roundilh; the ilyles are two, eretl ~nd capillary, and of the.leng~h of the fiamina; the fiigmata are .fimple : the fruit IS an oval capfule, con tamed m the bafe of the cup, which is lhut up at the neck: the feeds are two, convex on one fide, and plane on the other. . . This genus contains the Knawel of Dillenius; Vaillant confounds 1t W1th the Al-chimilla. 1. Scleranthus calycibus fruElus claujis. The Sclerantbus, with tbe ca!Jces of tbe fruit jhut. ~o atp, pee en.:: ntat JL{nalbe:I. The root is oblong and tough. The fialks are numerous and p:ocumbent, .round, flender, jointed, and, toward the tops, ramofe. The whole plant IS of a greytfh colour, and appears hoary. The leaves fiar:d in pairs; they are oblong, narrow, pointed at the ends and embrace the fialk at thetr bafe : the flowers are very numerous; they fiand in lit:le clufiers, at the extremities of the ramifications, and are large and white. It is common on fandy grounds, and is the plant at the roots of which the Coccus Polonicus is found in Poland; I have alfo met with the fame infect here at it's roots. C. Bauhine calls it, Polygonum cocciferum; Ray, Knawel incanum flore majore perenne. The infett, or coccus, at it's root, affords a very valuable fcarlet dye. 2. Sclerantbus calycibus fruEius patulis. 'I'he Sclerantbus, witb the cups of the fruit patulous. The root is oblong, flender, and woody. The fialks are round, jointed, flender, and procumbent. The leaves fiand in pairs; they are broadeft at the bafe, and terminate in a point; they are hollowed, and of a pale green colour. The flowers fiand in the divarications of the ilalks, and, at their extremities, they are fmall, and of a greenifh-white colour. It is common in fandy places. C. Bauhine calls it, Polygonum montanum vermiculatre foliis; Dalechamp, Polycarpum. MITE L L A. T HE calyx is a perianthium, of a campanulated figure, formed of one leaf, and lightly divided at the edge into five fegments: the corolla confifis of five patent petals, of an oplong figure, longer than the fegments of the cup, and with their ungues narrow, and _infert.ed into the calyx : the fiamina are ten filaments, inferted alfo into the calyx, and broadefi: a~ the top: the anthera~ are ronndilh and erect: the germina are two, of an ovato-acummate .figure, parallel, but convergent, and opening inwards: the fiyles are ~nequal! the fi1gmata are fimple : the fruit is a capfule, of a glob?fe figure, but w1th a pomt, formed of two valves, and opening between them, contaming only one cell: }he feeds are numerous, and of a roundi{h oblong figure. The petals in feme are entire, in others multifid. 1. Mit ella petalis multi.fidis. The Mitella, with multifid petals. The root is fibrous ; the radical leaves are very large, often of the bignefs of the palm of a man's hand; they are broad, roundilh, of a dark green, and hairy on both furfaces; they fia.nd on pedicles three or four inches long: the fialks are a foot, or more, h1gh, flender, hauy, round, and naked to the middle, where they have two leaves, fmaller, more angulated, and crenated than the radical ones, and placed oppofite. The upper '!be lfifiory of P t A N T s. 431 upJ1er ha1f of the llalk forms a kind of fpike of flowers; they are fmall, and of a red colour in various degrees, from deep purple to whitia1, and fiand on long pedicles. It is a native of America. Tournefort calis it, Mitella Americana florum petalis funbriatis. 2. Mitella petalis integris. Tbe Mitella, with undivided petals. The roots are fibrous and white; the fialks ·are flender, hairy, and p rocumben t~ the leaves are large, of a roundi{h figure, and dn:fky-green colour, hairy and crenated round the edges : the flowers fiand in a kind of fpikes on fi:alks, of four or five inches long, very flender and ereCt; they are fmall, and of a pale red. It is a native of America, and of fome parts of Europe. Toutnefort calls it, Mitella Americana florum petal is integris ; Bodreus, Cortufa Indica vel Hedera terrefi ris Indica, a name .fince ufed by many others. There is but one other known fpecies of this genus; this is, The d cp-purple, hairy-flowered Mitella. The Roucou, or Mitella Americana maxima tinCl.oria, is of a very different clafs. See B1xA. SA X IF RAG A. T HE calyx is a a1ort, acute, permanent perianthium, formed of a fingle leaf, divided into five fegments : the corolla is larger than the calyx, and confifis of five plane petals, narrow at the bafe; ~he fiamina are t~n fubulated ~lam erus, . alternately {horter; the antherre are rounddb: the germen IS of a t·otmdJfh, ac.u~ll1ate.d figure, and terminates in two {hort fiyles; the fiigmata are obtufe : the fruit IS a btrofirated capfule, of a figure approaching to oval; it contains two cells, and opens between the points ; the feeds are numerous and fm~l]. This genus comprehends the Geum and the Sax1fraga. of Tournefort and others. In the Saxifrages the capfule and germe? are furrounded w1th the re~eptacle of the corolla : in the Geum they fiand upon 1t, and are not futround ed by It. 1. Saxifraga foliis retziformibus lobatis, caule ramofo, radice granulofo. U'll bitt The granulous-rooted, ramofe-Jlalhed Saxifraga, with hid- %iHt~tfcagc. ney-jhaped, lobated leaves. : The root is compofed of a number of thick, white fib res, to which are annexed a great many tuberous bodies,. of the fiz~ of a fmall pea, and of a pu;p!ilh colour : the radical leaves are of a round101 but remform fhape, crenated round tne1r edges fo d~eply, as to be in a manner divided into lobes ; they are about th:ee quarters. of an m.ch in diameter, and fiand on pedicles three inches long: the ftalk lS round, tbt<;k , ten mches high, and ramofe; the leaves fiand alternately, and are more angulated than the radical ones : the flowers are large, white, and beautifuL It is common in our meadows. C. Bauhine calls it, Saxifraga rotundifo lia alba; others fimply, Saxifraga alba. The tuberofities at the root are diuretic ; they are kept in the {hops, under the name of Saxifrage feeds. 2. Saxifraga foliis cuneiformibus retujis radicalibus jinuato-ferratis, caule paniculato. 1£,onnon ~rttr, 0 ~ The paniculate-.ftalhed, cuneiform, retuje-leaved jf.!onc fo prcttp. Saxifraga. The root is a clufter of fibres, white and moderately thick; the radical }eaves are numerous, arranged in an orbicular form, and procumbent; they arc. of a figure approaching to round, an inch long, and ferrated, and, as it were, pnckly round the edges: the fialks are flender, round, hairy, and ramofe; the flo~e rs are fmall an~ numerous; when nearly examined, they are extreamly beautiful; their ground colour IS a pale whitiili-red, but they are elegantly fpotted with purple. It |
