C 941 ] 



Claytonia Virginica. Virginian 



Claytonia. 



$ $ $$ fc &%■ ## jMs-*4# * * *■ * * 



Cfc/5 and Order. 



Pentandria Monogynia. 



Generic Character. 



Cat. bivalvis. Cor. 5-petala. Stigma 3-fidum. Cap/. 3-valvis, 

 l-locularis, 3-fperma. 



Specific Charafler and Synonyms. 

 CLAYTONIA virginica; foliis lineari-lanceolatis, petalis in- 



tegris. Hort. Kew. 1. p. 284. Willd. Sp. PI* 



1. p. 1185. Mart. Mill. Dicl. a. 1. 

 CLAYTONIA virginica. Sp. PI. 294. Reich. 1. p. 572. 



Decand. plant.gr. 131. Miihaitx Ffor. Bor. 



Am. 1. p. 160. 

 ORNITHOGALO affinis -virginiana, flore purpureo penta- 



petaloide. Pluk. Aim. 272. /. 102./. 3. Rudb. 



Elyf. 2. p. 139./. 6. 



The variety with broader lanceolate leaves mentioned in 

 Hortus Kewenfis, is probably the caroliniana of Michaux. 

 It occurs alfo with flowers of a deeper role colour: in our 

 plant the petals are white (freaked with red veins. Jussieu 

 has placed Claytonia in his natural order of Portulacea to- 

 gether with Monti a, to which it has certainly a very near 

 affinity. If Clayton's obfervation be correct, that the feed 

 is monocotyledonous, perhaps it mould be brought nearer to 

 the afphodeli, to which family it approaches in general habit, 

 in having a tuberous root, a fcape in part embraced by the 

 leaves, which are not always exactly oppofite, a two-valved 

 perfiftent calyx in fome refpe&s refembling a fpathe, a corolla 

 decaying before it falls off, a trifid ftigma, and a three-valved 

 capfule. This is however one-celled, and contains three kid- 

 ney -fli aped feeds, or rather lentiform, with a notch at the part 

 from whence the umbilical cord iffues, by means of which it is 

 connected with the bottom of the capfule. The embryo of the 

 Iced is rolled round a farinaceous perifperm. 



A native of moift woods in Virginia and New-England. Com- 

 municated by Mr. Williams of Turnham-Green, and Mr. 

 Samu el Curtis of Walworth. A hardy perennial. !• lowers 

 in May. Propagated by feeds or by the tuberous roots. R e ~ 

 quires a moift foil in a fiiady fituation. 



Introduced by Mr. J. Clayton before 1759- 



