750 PAP AVER. [class Xni. ORDER I. 



with stout tapering spreading hairs. Leaves numerous, the lower ones 

 on longish footstalks, dilated at the base, the upper ones sessile, 

 pinnate, with linear toothed or entire lobes, or bi-pinnated, with the 

 lobes deeply divided, and simple or toothed, paler on the under side, 

 and scattered over with spreading stout hairs, the teeth with a mucro- 

 nate point. Floivers mostly numerous, on long peduncles, clothed with 

 horizontal spreading or close pressed bristles. Calyx with ovate con- 

 cave sepals, clothed more or less thickly with spreading bristles. 

 Petals large, broad, spreading, of a deep rich scarlet colour, often with 

 a black patch at the base, creased, and mostly crenated or waved on 

 the margin. Stamens purple, with awl-shaped filaments, and oblong 

 two celled anthers, with yellow pollen. Stir/mas from ten to twelve 

 rays, the margins of the lobes incumbent. Capsule smooth, glaucous 

 when young, ovate, globose, many seeded. 

 Habitat.— CwKiv Sited fields; very common. 

 Annual; flowering in June and July. 



The varieties of this species are very perplexing to the student, from 

 the circumstance of the leaves varying so greatly in the divisions of 

 their segments, and the hairs of the peduncles varying from being close 

 pressed to standing at right angles with the peduncles; the smooth 

 globular abrupt capsule, however, readily distinguished it from all 

 other of our species. 



The variety y. lohatum is a very remarkable one, which we were at 

 first inclined to think a distinct species, and perhaps may, indeed, 

 upon further observation prove so. The leaves are remarkable in being 

 sparingly divided into narrow spreading lobes at the base only, and 

 these are entire, or distantly lobed or toothed, while the terminal lobe 

 is linear lanceolate, long, and unequally toothed; the margin is re- 

 curved, and the upper and under surfaces are rough, with short hairs. 

 The stem is more or less thickly clothed with spreading hairs, tinged 

 with purple, as are those of the peduncles and calyx ; but on the 

 peduncles they are not close pressed nor yet horizontal, but partly 

 spreading. 



We have specimens collected some years since in corn fields about 

 Sheffield, and we have met with the same plant last summer in similar 

 situations on the hills at the Bagni di Lucca, Italy. 



By cultivation many beautiful varieties of this species are obtained, 

 both double and semi-double, and of various shades, from rose colour 

 to white, and not unfrequently variegated. 



The beautiful red colour of the petals of the wild plant is readily 

 imparted to water, on which account it is made with sugar into a 

 syrup, and used for the purpose of colouring other medicines; for 

 although it, like all other of the same genus, possesses narcotic pro- 

 perties, they are in this preparation so minute in proportion as not to 

 enter into any consideration as a medicine. 



The colouring matter which exists in the petals of so many flowers, 

 and renders them such distinguished objects of cultivation, has not 



