GENTIANACE^. 79 



imperfectly loculicidally dehiscent ; valves bearing the placentae 

 along their middle line. Seeds very numerous. 



An aquatic herb, with creeping rhizomes and stalked trifoliate 

 leaves, with obvate entire segments. Flowers in racemes, white, 

 tinged with pink on the outside. 



The name of this genus of plants comes from /xrjj/ (nien), a month, and aydoQ 

 (cmtlios), a flower, as continuing a month in bloom. 



SPECIES I.— MENYANTHES TRIFOLIATA. Linn. 



Plate DCCCCXX. 



Beich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XVII. Tab. MXLIII. 

 Billot, FI. Gall, et Germ. Exsicc. No. 1038. 



The only known species. 



In spongy bogs, marshes, and shallow water. Generally distri- 

 buted. Rather scarce in the South of England ; common in the 

 North and in Scotland. 



Englaild, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Early Summer. 



Eootstock thick, creeping. Leaves alternate, with the petioles 

 dilated and sheathing at the base ; leaflets 3, oval-obovate, scarcely 

 stalked, 1^ to 4 inches long, entire. Scapes axillary, 6 to 18 inches 

 high, longer than the leaves, leafless. Elowers f inch across, white, 

 tinged with pink on the outside, disposed in an irregularly-whorled 

 raceme, with 3 flowers in a whorl. Bracts ovate, sub-scarious, 

 shorter than the pedicels. Calyx 5-partite ; segments oblong-lan- 

 ceolate, rather obtuse. Corolla more than twice as long as the 

 calyx ; segments 5, oblong-oblanceolate, sub-acute, recurved at the 

 apex, glabrous on the outside, densely bearded with thick white 

 hairs on the inside. Stamens slightly exserted, reddish-purple. Cap- 

 sules green tinged with purple, about the size of peas, globular, 

 abruptly acuminate. Seeds reddish-brown. Plant green, glabrous. 



Common Biickbean. 



French, Menyanthe Trejle d'Eau. German, Dreiblattriger Biber. 



The common name of this plant is believed by some botanists to have originally 

 been hogbean, which, from its French synonym, trefle des marais, is very plausible, says 

 Dr. Prior. In German it is called Bocksbohne, and is considered a remedy against the 

 scharbock or scurvy ; whence it is called Scharboc/is Klee. Buckesbean, and not 

 bogbean, is the name of it in all the old herbals. The Buckbean is used in medicine 

 as a tonic and febrifuge. The leaves are chiefly employed ; they are collected in the 

 summer and dried ; one hundred pounds of the fresh foliage yielding about thirty-nine 

 when dry. ^ An extract is made from them, which possesses strong tonic properties, 

 due to a principle known as Menyanthin. The intense bitter of the leaves has led to 

 their being substituted for hops in brewing, and large quantities of them are collected 



