191 



the corolla universal, uniform, roundish: floscules all fertile: proper 

 five-petalled : petals oblong, the tips bent inwards to the base> 

 straightened longitudinally by a line: the stamina consist of five ca- 

 pillary filaments, straight, exceeding the floscules: anthers oblong: 

 the pistillum is a hispid inferior germ: styles two, filiform, straight, 

 length of the stamens: stigmas simple: the pericarpium is an ovate 

 fruit, divisible in two directions: the seeds oblong, and columnar. 



The species cultivated are : 1. E. fcetidum, Stinking Eryngo ; 

 2. E. planum, Flat-leaved Eryngo; 3. E. maritimum, Sea Eryngo, or 

 Sea-Holly; 4-.E. amethystinum, Amethystine Eryngo; 5. E. alpinum, 

 Alpine Eryngo. 



The first has an annual or biennial root. The root-leaves blunt- 

 ish; the serratures terminating in harmless spines. The stem a foot 

 high or more, green, somewhat angular, dichotomous, spreading; 

 with the extreme branches flexuose. The leaves on the branches op- 

 posite, stem-clasping, wedge-shaped, subconnate, with the edge 

 toothed and semitrifid; the divisions lanceolate, all the angles ter- 

 minating in a purplish spine. The peduncle springs from the angles 

 of the stem ; it is straight, shorter than the internode, triangular, 

 streaked on the sides. The involucres are composed of six leaflets 

 or thereabouts; are horizontal, and longer than the flower; the leaf- 

 lets are lanceolate, nerved, and have a spine at the tip and at one 

 or two of the serratures. The common receptacle is cylindric, Avhence 

 the flower is cylindric. It is of a dull white colour, appearing at the 

 divisions and extremities of the branches. The whole plant has a 

 very penetrating, strong, but not unsavoury smell* It is a native of 

 Virginia, flowering in June and July. 



The second species has a perennial root. The slem upright, round, 

 furrowed or streaked, whitish, about a foot and half in height, blueish 

 at top, where it divides into three parts, each of which is terminated 

 by a peduncled axillary flower. Lower leaves cordate ovate, obtuse, 

 on long petioles, with unequal, mucronale notches about the edge; 

 stem-leaves sessile; the uppermost lobed, gashed, smaller serrate, the 

 notches spinulose. The flowers in terminating heads, fenced with a 



