TORMENTIL 83 



our commons and heaths, where Furze or Broom occurs along with 

 Tussock Grass, and Grassy Stitchwort, Lesser Spearwort, &c. It is 

 xerophilous, loving best dry pastures, where Milkwort, Heath Bed- 

 straw, Heath, Whortleberry, Eyebright, Woodrushes, Heath Hair 

 Grass, and Matweed are usually found. 



All herbalists know the red woody rootstock of Tormentil, for it is 

 a favourite plant with them, and those who study botany will not 

 neglect to collect it in preserving their specimen of it. The stems, 

 which are numerous, are suberect, the lower leaves being quinate, 



TORMENTIL (Potentilla erecta, Hampe) 



Photo. B. Hanley 



divided into five, and stalked, the others stalkless, the leaflets being 

 wedge-shaped, lance-shaped, coarsely toothed at the end, clasping the 

 stem, and downy both sides. 



The flowers are smaller than in most of the Cinquefoils, and there 

 are 4, not 5, petals, drooping at first, then erect (hence the second 

 Latin name, applying equally to the stem). There are 8 sepals, which 

 are downy. The seeds are naked, yellow, and net-veined. The re- 

 ceptacle is not fleshy as in Fragaria. 



The plant is usually 6 in. high. It flowers during June and the 

 intervening months up to September. Tormentil is like other decidu- 

 ous, herbaceous plants, reproduced by seeds. 



The floral arrangements are similar to those in P. verna, but the 

 secretion of the honey is more evident, and as a thin layer. The 



