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POTENTILLA insignis. 



Specious Cinquefoil. 



ICOSANDRIA POLYGYNIA. 

 Nat. ord. Rosacea. 

 POTENTILLA. Botanical Register, vol. 16. fol. 1387. 



P. insignis; caule ascendente multifloro, foliis ternatis (nunc quinatis) radi- 

 calibus longe petiolatis: lobis ovalibus obovatisque crenato-serratis supra 

 viridibus subtus incanis, stipulis ovatis obtusis integris multifidisque, 

 laciniis calycinis ovatis acutis, petalis subrotundis emarginatis calyce 

 duplo longioribus. 



P. insignis. Royle hied. 



The genus Potentilla abounds in species, or what are 

 called so, of which there is no recent general enumeration, 

 and concerning which there is the greatest difficulty in coming 

 to any satisfactory conclusion. With respect to the plant now 

 before us, which was raised from Indian seeds, presented to 

 the Horticultural Society by the Court of Directors of the 

 East India Company, I find it extremely difficult to come to 

 any certain conclusion. 



It is undoubtedly the P. insignis of Dr. Royle's mss. ; 

 but how does that differ from P. argyrophylla ? The latter 

 has leaves more coarsely serrated, and much more strongly 

 veined, and not so obtuse ; otherwise it is extremely like it ; 

 and it is difficult to suppose it really distinct. And then 

 again is the latter distinct from the Altai P. macrantha, a 

 smaller species indeed, and erect not ascending, but very like 

 it ? These enquiries lead to the further question of how far 

 P. leucochroa deserves to be regarded as distinct ; that plant 

 indeed has the leaves grey on the upper side with silken hairs, 

 and seems to be quite erect ; but it comes from Chinese Tartary, 

 and climate may cause the differences. Then, again, Dr. 

 Lehmann says that P. leucochroa is the same as the Una- 



