218 MCENCniA— TILLJ.A. [ri.Ass iv. oudjr ni. 



Root tapering, fibrous below. Stem at tbe ba.'e cree])ing, ascending 

 at the extremity ; about four inches liigli ; Icafv, round, smootli, and 

 branched; green or purplish. Lcavrx shorter ihan the last, obtuse, 

 sometimes terminated by a minute point, and rounded on the back. 

 Peduncles smooth, about an inch long, erect and slender. Calyx leaves 

 membranous at the edge, ovate or obtuse. Petals entirely wanting. 



"IMr. Don found sometimes eight stamens. Professor Hooker says 

 the petals are entirely wanting, nor can 1 find any. The edges of the 

 calyx are occasionally violet-coloured." — Sinilh. 



GENUS XXII. MCEN'CHIA, Hooker, McencJna. 



Gen. Char. Calyx inferior, of four permanent equal leaves. Petals, 

 four, shorter than the calyx. Capsule slightly ovate, the length of 

 the calyx, of one cell, opening at the summit, with eight to ten 

 minute teeth. Seeds, many, attached to the receptacle. Xamed 

 in compliment to Conrad Mcench, Professor of Botany at Hesse 

 Cassel. 



Herbaceous, small, smooth herbs, having the habit of cerasthan. 



1. M. erec'ta,^imlh, (Fig. 28.5,) Upric/lit Mfenchia. 



English Bot. t. 509. — English Flora, vol, i., p. 241. — Hooker, British 

 Flora, vol. i., p. 80. — Lindley's Synopsis, p. 49. 



A small, erect, smooth, glaucous herb, rising to the height of from 

 two to four inches. Leaves opposite, lanceolate, sessile, entire. Calyx 

 leaves large, white, membranous at the margin. Petals, length of the 

 calyx, white, and shining. 



This is the Sayina erecta of Linnauis, and of Smith, in Enylish 

 Botany, t. 609 ; and the latter author, in the English Flora, has the 

 following remarks : — " An elegant little plant, certainly misplaced in 

 Sayhia, as its habit and the structure of its capsules evince. The un- 

 certainty of its genus is hinted at in Fl. Brit, and Eriylish 7io/., though 

 I had not then seen Ehvhart's work, to consider his characters. The 

 original specific name erecta ought not to be changed: we may be 

 thankful to get rid of Quatcrnella." 



GENUS XXIII. TILLiE'A, Linn. Tilhca. 



Calyx, throe to four deeply spreading, ovate segments. Capsules, three 

 lo J'our, two-seeded, oblong, recurved, bursting lengthways, two- 

 celled and two-valved. Named in compliment to Rlichatl Angelo 

 'I'illi, an Italian I?(iianist, and author of a Catalogue ol Plants 

 grown in the Medical d'arden at Pisa, 172.3. 

 1. 7'. unisco'sa, lAuu. (Fig. 2St),) 3fi>ssy Tilhca. Stems pmcumljent, 



luMuched. Flou-ers axillary, sessile, three-cleft. 

 Ijiglish Botany, t. IK). — English Flora, vol. i., p. 212 — Lindley's 

 Synopsis, p. 03. — Hooker, Hritisii Flora, p. 80. 



Ri.ils fibrous. Slew: round, leafy, about two inches long, at first 



