CIAS* ir. ORDER I. J SAXGUISORBA. 203 



green, sometimes with a reddish or purple hue. Flowers solitary, ses- 

 sile, at the base of the footstalks, small, " having two small tubulate 

 bracteas at the base." Limb of the calyx of four ovate, acute, green, 

 spreading segments. Corolla wanting. Stamens small, placed oppo- 

 site to the segments of the calyx. Style short, with a capitate stigma- 

 Capsule crowned by the persistent limb of the calyx. 



Habitat, Ponds and marshy places, very rare. In a pool at Bux- 

 ted, Sussex Mr. Borrer. Abundant in a bog on Petersfield Heathi 

 Hampshire Miss Riekman and J. Barton, Esq. 



Annual ; flowering in July. 



GENUS XVI. SANGUISOR'BA. LINN. Burnet. 



Nat. Ord. ROSA'CE.E. 



GBN. CHAR. Perianth superior, of four coloured lobes, with two or 

 four scales at the base. Nuts one or two, surrounded by the dry 

 persistent tube of the perianth. Seed suspended. Name from 

 sanguis, blood, and sorbeo, to absorb ; from the astringent proper- 

 ties which the plant possesses, and its power of stopping the 

 haemorrhage from wounds. 



1. S. ojfficina'lis, LTnn. (Fig. 250.) great Burnet. Spike ovate. 

 English Botany, t. 1312. English Flora, vol. i. p. 218. Lindley, 

 Synopsis, p. 103. Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 73. 



Root large, thick, woody. The whole plant quite smooth. Stem 

 erect, from one to two feet high or more, branched, especially above. 

 Leaves pinnate, with a terminal leaflet ; the rest opposite, sometimes 

 alternate, each ovate, cordate at the base, strongly serrated, green above 

 paler beneath, with a strongish midrib and numerous branching veins' 

 at the base of almost every footstalk is a small toothed stipule, larger in 

 some, smaller or entirely wanting in others ; the radical leaves with long 

 stalks, those of the stem much shorter. Inflorescence a terminal, dense, 

 ovate spike, of a dark dull purple hue, on long naked stalks. Spike* 

 generally about an inch long, but very various in size, the upper flowers 

 expanding first. Perianth single ; the limb of four dark-red or purple, 

 ovate, spreading segments ; its tube investing the germen, and having 

 at its base a greenish, four-scaled, ciliated bractea. Nuts one, or rarely 

 two, enclosed in the tube, and crowned by the persistent limb of the 

 perianth. 



Habitat. Rather moist limestone or clayey countries, especially in 

 the North of England. Less frequent in the Lowlands of Scotland. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



This plant does not appear to possess either the medicinal or agricul- 

 tural properties for which at one time it was thought valuable ; it is 

 bitter and somewhat astringent, and not a food much relished by cattle- 



