NAT. ORDER. 

 FumariaceeB. . 



FUMARU CAVA. HOLLOW-ROOTED FUMITORY. 



Class XVII. DiADELPHiA. Order II. Hexandria. 



Gen. Char. Calyx two-leaved. Corolla ringent. Filaments two, 

 membranaceous, with three anthers on each. 



.^e. Char. Peiicarps one-seeded, racemed. Stem diffuse. 



This plant has a root about the size of a large hazle-nut with the 

 shuck on ; the Jloiccr-stalk rises in height about eight or nine inches; 

 the root-leaves stand in pairs, triternate, gashed, smooth, slender, and 

 with red petioles ; the scape is simple, round, the length of the leaf, 

 and rufous ; the racemes are terminating and simple ; the Jioioers 

 pendulous, and of a dull purple-white color. It is a native of Vir- 

 ginia. Perennial, flowering in June and July. 



The generic name is from famus, smoke, in allusion to the disa- 

 greeable smell of the plant. The French, with the same meaning 

 call it Fumeterre, whence our Englisii Fumitory. 



The economy of the fructification of this family of plants is remark- 

 able. The stamens are in two parcels, the anthers of which are a 

 little higher than the stigma ; the two middle ones of these anthers 

 are turned outwards, and do not appear capable of communicating 

 their polen to the stigma : the four latteral ones are also naturally 

 turned outwards, but by a^twist of the filament their face is pre- 

 sented to the stigma. They are all held firmly togetlier by the 

 cohesion of the tops of the flowers, which, never unclosing, offer no 

 apparent means of the polen being distributed so as to be shed upon 

 the stigmatic surface. To remedy this inconvenience, the stigma is 

 furnished with two blunt horns, one of which is inserted between 

 and under the cells of the anthers of each parcel, so that without 



Vol. iv- 107 



