CISTACE^. 67 



outer ones smaller or absent^ the three inner twisted in preflora- 

 tion.- Petals five^ free^ caducous (speedily falling off), twisted in 

 prefloration (arrangement of the petals or sepals before expan- 

 sion) . Stamens indefinite, free. Anthers two-lobed, usually in- 

 trorse. Ovary free, consisting of 3-5, rarely 6-10^ united car- 

 pels (syncarpous and one- or many-celled), with many ovules 

 (rarely with several complete or incomplete cells) ; placentas 

 parietal. Style filiform ; stigma entire or scarcely lobed. Fruit 

 capsular_, one-celled, many-seeded, rarely with imperfect cells. 

 Seeds easily separating from the trophosperm (the medium which 

 attaches them to the placenta). Embryo curved or spiral. Ra- 

 dicle directed to a point diametrically opposite to the hilum, rarely 

 directed towards it, 



Helianthemum, Town. — Flowers yellow or white. Sepals five, 

 the outer two small or deficient. Petals five. Stamens indefi- 

 nite. Fruit capsular, three-valved, bearing the partitions (pla- 

 centas) in their centre. 



Sect. I. Leaves (at least the upper ones) stipulate. 



H. vulgare, Gpert. — Cistiis Helianthemum, Lin. Common 

 Rock-rose. — e.b. 1321. l.b.s. 128. 



A. 16. C. 70. Lat. 50-58°. Alt. 0-650 yds. Tern. 51-41°. 



Stems half-shrubby, diffuse, spreading, simple or slightly 

 branched, hairy, leafy. Leaves oblong or oblong-narrow, op- 

 posite, on short petioles, green on the upper side, whitish or 

 tomentose below, and with slightly reflexed margins; stipules 

 linear-lanceolate, slightly longer than the petiole. Flowers in 

 terminal short clusters, yellow, but sometimes pale-white or 

 cream-coloured, and occasionally of a coppery hue. Pedicels 

 of the fruit usually reflexed. Style twice as long as the ovary. 



Dry, liiUy places. Per. ; June-September. 



Var. a. tomentosum. Leaves whitish or tomentose on the 

 under side. — A common state. 



Var, /S. virescens. Leaves green on both sides. 



Var. 7. Flowers white or rosy. — ? roseum, DC. 



Var, leptopetalum. Petals narrow. — ? surrejanum,'M\\\. 



A variety with copper-coloured petals occurs at Sander stead, near 

 Croydon, a locality which abounds in varieties of this species. 



H. polifolium, Pers. White Mountain Cistus. — e.b. 1322. 

 L.B.S, 129, 



A. 1. C. 2. Lat. 50-52°. Alt. 0-? yds. Tern. 51-50°. 



