1865.] GIBB — ON SANGUINARIA CANADENSIS. 437 



which is uniformly terminated by a single flower, proceeds from 

 one end of the root, and rises perpendicularly to the height of six or 

 eight inches. The flowers are much under this height at the early 

 part of the season ; and not unfrequently they are expanded at 

 those periods when the scape has just appeared above ground. By 

 the time the flower is expanded and spreading, the leaf-stalk is 

 not more than half the length of the scape. The flowers possess 

 two deciduous calyx leaves. Michaux says there are three ; this is 

 clearly an error. The calyx is so exceedingly fugacious, that it is 

 common for them to fall off before the flower is expanded, hence 

 they are rarely seen. 



The flowers have generally but eight petals, varying in size ; I 

 have seen them of ten and twelve, and they have been counted 

 from seven to fourteen. They are not, therefore, double. With 

 care, some fine double varieties might be produced, as there is a 

 great propensity in this plant to multiply its petals in favorable 

 situations. 



There are, probably, two varieties of the Sanguinaria, founded 

 upon the difference in the form of the petals. One of these is 

 described by Pursh, in his Flora, as having the petals of a linear 

 form ; the same peculiarity being noticed by Mr. Lyon of Georgia. 

 The petals, which are for the most part pure white, are often tinged 

 on their under side, and sometimes on their upper, with a delicate 

 rose color. Occasionally a purple tinge replaces the rose. The 

 flower bud is generally rose-colored. The pistil is reddish green. 

 During the heat of the day, the petals are horizontal and spread 

 out ; they converge towards the evening, and at night are wrapped 

 up ; the leaves, also, partly close towards night. 



At the end of a few days, the petals fall, and leave a small rudi- 

 mentary pod or capsule. This continues to grow till it has 

 attained from one to two inches in length, and when they have 

 become ripe, they turn slightly brown, curl up, and discharge the 

 seeds. This occurs at the end of May or during June, sometimes 

 as late as July. The number of seeds varies from ten to sixty in 

 each capsule. 



When the flowering has passed the whole plant becomes much 

 increased in size, frequently attaining by mid-summer, to the 

 height of fifteen inches, but commonly not exceeding twelve. 

 The leaves, having continued to grow, have acquired so large a size 

 as to appear like a different plant, exceeding in dimensions that 

 first observed twice, thrice and four times. During flowering, 



Vol. ii. dd No. 



