426 ICOSANDRIA-POLYGYNIA. Potentilla. 



P. Fragariastrum, Ehrh. Herb. 146. Hall. jun. in Ser. Mus. v. 1 . 49. 

 P. Fragaria. " DeCand. Fr. v. 4. 468." Nestl. Potent. 76. Ser. 



Mus. v.l.59.t.4.f.2. Hook. Scot. 1 64. 

 P. fragarioides. Villars Dauph. v. 3.661. 

 Fragaria sterilis. Linn. Sp. PL 709. Willd. v. 2. 1093. Fl. Br. 546. 



Engl. Bot. V. 2.5. t. 1/85. Curt. Lond.fasc. 3. t. 30. Rail Syn. 



254. Hoffm. Germ, for 1791. 178. t. 6. Bauh. Pin. 327. Ft. 



Dan. t. 1579. 

 F. n. 1113. Hall. Hist. v. 2. 45. 



F. minimi vesca, sive sterilis. Ger. Em. 998./. Lob. Ic. 698./. 

 Barren Strawberry. Pet. H. Brit. I. 40. f. 8. 



In dry gravelly pastures, common. 



Perennial. March, April. 



Root woody, running deep into the ground. Herb hairy, with 

 every character of a Strawberry, except in the /rwii. Stems pro- 

 cumbent, but not creeping, or taking root ; the longer ones 

 leafy, barren ; shorter somewhat ascending, bearing one or two 

 leaves, and terminating in a very few small whxi^i Jiowers, on 

 simple hairy stalks. Leaves ternate, on \ong footstalks, with a 

 pair of linear acute stipulas united to their base. Leaflets 

 rounded, broadly obovate or wedge-shaped, with several broad 

 serratures, the central tooth small. Cat. silky, its outer seg- 

 ments rather the smallest. Pet. inversely heart-shaped, as long 

 as the calyx. Recept. small, dry, hairy, permanent as in every 

 Potentilla. Seeds, according to the observations of my most 

 accurate friend Mr.Borrer, not even, but transversely wrinkled. 

 They are also hairy about the scar, and inner margin, not 

 crowned with fine bristles like the last. 



I cannot understand by what rule this plant has been, by some 

 distinguished botanists, referred to Comarum. It is a perfect 

 Potentilla in character, though, like some others of this genus, 

 it has entirely the habit of a Fragaria. Ehrhart first removed 

 it from thence, and I prefer his specific name, though not one of 

 the most elegant, to Fragaria. The latter would, indeed, be ad- 

 missible if the plant were the only Fragaria ever described, and 

 that genus were sunk in Potentilla. I hope my fellow labourers 

 will not take ofl^^ence if I try to keep the principles of our science 

 incorrupt ; though in nomenclature this is not to be accom- 

 plished, without the concurrence of those who ought to be of 

 authority. 



Notwithstanding the scientific labours of Dr. Nestler, Mr. Haller 

 jun., and Mr. Seringue, who, according to their several oppor- 

 tunities, have greatly illustrated this subject, I perceive the whole 

 genus of Potentilla still requires accurate revision, neither the 

 Linnaean species, nor the synonyms of the earlier writers, being 

 well understood. The British ones, as far as hitherto observed, 

 will now I trust be intelligible ; so that if any new species should 

 be found, they may, by competent observers, be distinguished. 



