236 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Var. a, 3Hkanii. 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XII. Tabs. DCXXVII. DCXXVIII. Figs. 1432, 



U33. 

 V. officinalis, Mih. Koch. Syu. Fl. Germ, et Ilelv. ed. ii. p. 369. Bah. Man. Brit. Bot. 



ed. V. p. 163. 

 Billot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 3106. 



Eootstock with elongate stolons. Leaves with 6 to 10 pair of 

 leaflets. 



Var. <3, samhucifolia. 



Plate DCLXVI. 

 Eeich. 1. c. Tab. DCXXYI. Fig. 1431. 

 V. sambucifolia, Mik. Koch, 1. c. p. 369. Bah. 1. c, p. 163. 

 v. officinalis, Sm. Eng. Bot. No. 698. 



Roostock with elongate stolons. Leaves with 4 to 6 pair of 

 leaflets. 



In marshy meadows, by the side of water, and in damp woods. 

 Common, and generally distributed. Var. ^ the more common 

 form. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 



Kootstock short, generally stoloniferous, the stolons sometimes 

 above-ground resembling runners, sometimes beneath like suckers. 

 Stem solitary in the British forms, 2 to 5 feet high, generally 

 glabrous, but sometimes hairy in the lower part. Eadical leaves 

 and those of the stolons on long stalks, with the leaflets ovate or 

 lanceolate-ovate; lower stem-leaves with the leaflets usually 

 narrower and longer than the radical leaves; upper stem-leaves 

 sessile, with the leaflets always narrower and more acute than the 

 lower ones ; leaflets J to 2 J inches long, sessile, generally serrate 

 or dentate on the outer margin, often entire on the inner. Flowers 

 pale flesh-colour, in corymbose cymes, of which several are usually 

 collected at the apex of the stem so as to form a flat compound 

 corymbose cyme, and in large examples a few additional pairs of 

 cymes on long stalks are produced from the axils of the upper leaves. 

 Corolla widely funnel-shaped, J inch across. Stamens and styles 

 exserted. Eruit pale-olive, lanceolate-ovoid or oblong-ovoid, com- 

 pressed, with a single rib on the back, 3 on the face, and 1 down 

 each side. Pappus plumose. Plant light-green, sub-glabrous ; the 

 leaves generally ciliated at the margins and with short hairs on the 

 veins and scattered on the upper surface. Stem usually hairy at 

 the nodes. 



I can scarcely separate V. sambucifolia, even as a mere variety, 

 the stolons in the form^ both with the fewest and most numerous 

 leaflets, are sometimes above and sometimes below the ground. 



