88 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



SPECIES I.-THESIUM HUM I FU SUM. D.C. 



Plate MCCXLVllI. 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XI. Tab. DXLII. Fig. 1153. 



nniot, Fl. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 636. 



T. linoiihylhim, Sm. Engl. Bot. No. 247. Jlooh & Am. Brit. Fl. ed. viii. p. 379, non 



Full nee D.G. 

 T, divaricatum, var. gallicum, gracile, et Anglicum. yiZjj/r. D.G. in D.C. Prod. Vol. 



XIV. p. 643. 



Stems very numerous, procumbent or ascending, diffuse, slender, 

 wiry, often flexuous, simple or sliglitly branched. Leaves linear- 

 strapshaped, 1 -nerved, acute. Flowers in slender panicles, generally 

 reduced nearly to racemes ; branches of the panicle spreading in fruit, 

 scabrous on the angle, the lower ones generally racemosely branched, 

 the upper ones 1-flowered, and equalling or exceeding the flowers. 

 Flowers each Avitli 3 bi-acteoles at the base, the 2 shorter ones as long 

 as the perianth or falling short of it. Perianth furmelshaped, the limb 

 rolled inwards in fruit. Fruit sessile, attenuated at the base into a 

 neck much shorter than the body of the nut, which is roundish-ovoid, 

 with longitudinal ribs, crowned by the involute perianth segments, 

 which are much shorter than the nut. 



On grassy banks, chiefly on chalky and limestone soils. Rather 

 local. Confined to the south of England, extending north to Gloucester, 

 Oxford, Cambridge, and Norfolk. 



England. Peremiial. Summer, Autumn. 



Koot parasitic on various plants, yellowish, woody, passing insensibly 

 upwards into the rhizome, which is many-headed. Stems very nume- 

 rous, 3 to 18 inches long, slender, furrowed, spreading all round or to 

 one side, frequently ascending at the apex. Leaves ^ to 1 inch long, 

 somewhat fleshy, with the midrib scarcely apparent. Panicle branched 

 only at the base, or in weak specimens reduced to merely a raceme; 

 when the branches are 1-flowered there is commonly no leaf at their 

 base, but when there is more than one flower on the peduncle, each 

 of these generally springs from the axil of a leaf or bract; stalk of 

 the single flowers equalling the perianth, with 3 bracteoles at the 

 apex, of which the lower one is considerably longer than the 2 others. 

 Flo^vers about -|- inch across, the segments fleshy, triangular, white 

 inside, green on the back, spreading in flower, incurved in fruit. 

 Style short, thick, with a capitate entire or slightly lobed stigma. 

 Nut about the size of a mustard seed, olive. Plant glabrous, dull 

 green, turning to yellowish green, the upper leaves and bracts with 

 small cartilaginous teeth on the maro:ins. 



Bastard Toadflax. 



French, The-sion. German, Vcrncinl-raut. 



