228 The Flora of WilUhire. 



perhaps noi truly indigenous in the county: This is distinguish ed/rom 

 V. major in its smaller size, more trailing habit, with short erect 

 flowering stems; in its narrower, ovate or oblong leaves, which 

 are perfectly glabrous ; in its smaller flower, with a more open tube 

 to the corolla, and shorter and broader segments to the calyx, 

 without any hairs. 



2. V. major (Linn.) Greater Periwinkle. JEngl. Bot. t. 514. 



Locality. In thickets and plantations. P. Fl. April, May. 

 Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts, generally about shrubberies, 

 and garden-fences, seldom at any great distance from habitations, 

 and certainly not indigenous. The genus Vinca is interesting to 

 the British botanist, as being like some others, the only indigenous 

 representative of its natural order. The curious and beautiful 

 structure of the internal part of the flowers deserves particular 

 investigation. 



ORDER. GENTIA'NACE^. (JUSS.) 



Chlora, (Linn.) Yellow- Centaury. 



Linn. CI. viii. Ord. i. 



Name. From chloros a pale green colour : in allusion to the 

 peculiar colour of the whole plant. Centaury, from its near alliance 

 in structure and properties to Frythrcea Centaurinm. 



1. C. perjoliata (Linn.) perfoliate Yellow Centaury. Engl. Bot. 

 t. 60. Reich. Icones, xvii. 1060. 



Locality. On chalky, limestone, and clayey or marley soils. A. 

 Fl. June, September. Area, 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In all the Districts, but 

 not plentiful. Stem, from 6 inches to 2 feet high, round, smooth, 

 leafy, unbranched, terminating in an upright repeatedly forked 

 panicle of many elegant bright yellow flowers, with scarlet stigmas. 

 Leaves ovate, acute, combined and perfoliate. The whole plant is 

 of a glaucous colour and very bitter, and is considered to possess 

 the same medical virtues as Gentiana and Frythrcea. 



Erythr-ea, (Renealm) Centaury. 

 Linn. CI. v. Ord. i. 

 Name. From Erythros (Grr.) red flower ; the flowers in most of 

 the species being of that colour. 



