354 BOPLEURTJM. [CLAS V. ORDER II. 



yellowish green colour, spreading when in flower, becoming erect in 

 fruit, and meeting closely over the partial umbels, than which they are 

 much longer, partial umbels of numerous yellow flowers, on short 

 peduncles. Calyx limb obsolete. Petals small, closely rolled inwards, 

 the margin wared, veiny. Stamens alternating with the petals, on 

 short filaments, bearing yellow ovate anthers of two cells, disk large, 

 depressed, fleshy. Styles very short. Stigmas simple, obtuse. Fruit 

 oblong, with five slender filiform primary ridges, ihe channels striated, 

 and without vittse. 



Habitat. Corn fields in England, especially on a chalky or lime- 

 stone soil. 



Annual ; flowering in July. 



A plant formerly numbered amongst those that were thought to have 

 a healing effect, and this was especially supposed to have the power 

 of curing ruptures. It is, we hope, needless to add that to such virtues 

 wholly unfounded in reason, no one is now so foolish as to trust in such 

 dangerous cases as ruptures. 



B. rotundifolium is nearly allied to B. protractum, a species not 

 unfrequent on the Continent, distinguished by its stem being branched 

 from the base, and the leaves more oblong and larger than in B. 

 rotundifolium. The fruit is about the same size with filiform ridges, 

 but the channels between are granulated, and not striated, as in B. 

 rotundifolium ; and the involucre is always spreading, which in B. 

 rotundifolium become erect after flowering, and close over the fruit. 

 The general appearance of the two plants are so ,'similar, that we think 

 it probable they may have been overlooked as the same species ; and 

 we hope this notice will direct the attention of the Botanist to the more 

 minute investigation of the plants found in different parts of England, 

 and especially in the Southern Counties. 



** Perennial. 



4. B.falca'tum, Linn. (Fig. 418.) falcate-leaved Hare's Ear. Stem 

 erect, branched ; leaves from five to seven, nerved, the radical ones 

 ovate oblong, on long footstalks, the upper sessile, linear, lanceolate ; 

 general involucre of about five unequal segments, the partial of five, 

 broadly lanceolate, as long as the umbels ; fruit with narrow winged 

 ridges; channels plane, with three vittae, 



Corder in English Botany Suppt. t. 2763. Hooker, British Flora, 

 vol. i. p. 131. Lindley, Synopsis, Suppt. p. 324. 



Root woody, twisted and branched. Stem erect, from one to four 

 feet high, round, smooth, striated, much branched above with alternate 

 branches in a pauiculated manner, often zig-zag. Leaves alternate, 

 from five to seven, the lower ones sometimes nine, ribbed, of a dark 

 somewhat glaucous green, paler beneath, quite smooth, the lower 

 leaves ovate or ovate oblong, attenuated at the base into a long slender 



