Ill PENTANDRIA— TETRAGYNIA. Parnassia. 



petals, each fringed at tlie upper edge with a row o. 

 bristles, from 3 to 13 in number, all much shorter than 

 the petals, and each bearing a small transparent globe. 

 Filam. awl-shaped, spreading, every one in its turn in- 

 cumbent over the jpistil. Aiitlu heart-shaped, flattened. 

 Germ, ovate, large. Styles none. Stigmas 4, obtuse, per- 

 manent, subsequently spreading and rather enlarged. 

 Cajis. of 4 cells, and 4 valves, ovate, with 4 slight furrows, 

 opposite to the petitions, in the middle of each valve ; 

 receptacles 4, linear, abruptly terminating the partitions 

 at their inner edges. " Seeds numerous, oblong, curved 

 upwards, each bordered vdth a narrow, longitudinal wing." 

 Gcertner. 

 Roots fibrous, perennial. Herbs smooth. Stems simple, each 

 bearing one leaf, and one white, very elegant, j^oti;^r. 

 Leaves va-nW^ided, entire, ovate, heart or kidney-shaped; 

 radical ones stalked. 



1. V. palustris. Common Grass of Parnassus. 

 Leaves heart-shaped. Bristles of each nectary numerous. 



P. palustris. Linn. Sp. PL 391. Willd. v.\.\hi6. Ft. Br. 340. 

 Engl. Bot. V.2. t. 82. Rel. Rudb. 34. f. Mill. Illustr. t.\b. Hook. 

 Lond.t. 1. Scot. 96. Fl.Dan. t. 584. Ehrh. PI. Off. 133. 



P. n. 832. Hall. Hist. v. I. 37 \. 



P. vulgaris et palustris. Raii Syn. 355. 



Gramen Parnassi. Ger.Em.SAO.f. Lob.Ic.603.f. 



G. Parnasium. Dod. Pempf. 564./. 



Hepatica alba. Cord. Hist. 152, 2./. Gesn. Ease. 9. t. 4./. 11. ■ 



Pvrola rotundifolia palustris nostras, flore unico ampliore. Moris, 

 'v.3.d0d. sect. 12. t. 10./. 3. 



On spongy bogs and commons, especially in mountainous countries, 

 plentifully. Not rare in Norfolk. 



Perennial. September, October. 



The stems are about a span high, angular and twisted. Radical 

 leaves several, heart-shaped, more or less acute, with several 

 longitudinal ribs. Footstalks 3 or 4 times the length of their 

 leaves. Stem-leaf neaY]y sessile, not halfway up the stem. FL 

 about an inch wide, scentless, each petal marked with greenish 

 pellucid ribs. Balls of the nectaries yellow. This is one of our 

 most elegant native plants. There are several other species, in 

 America and Nepal, abundantly distinguished by various cha- 

 racters, besides the smaller number of the bristles of their nec- 

 taries. Professor Hooker was unfortunately led to alter the 

 generic and specific character by Forskall, who referred to this 

 genus a most evident Swertia. See S. decumbens, Willd. Sp. 

 Pl.v.l. 1330. 



