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OR, BOTANICAL DICTIONARY. 



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517 



no earth. It is a shrub two feet high, with procumbent dif- 

 fused branches ; the leaves are thicker, and numerous; the 

 berry and flowers smaller ; the former entirely void of scent, 

 the latter whitish, or very seldom purple. 



2. Erithalis Polygama. Leaves obovate; flowers axillary ; 

 males cymed ; hermaphrodites solitary. Native of the So- 

 ciety Isles. It has a variety with narrower leaves. 



Ernodea; a genus of the class Tetrandria, order Monogy- 

 n ia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth four-parted, 

 small, superior; segments erect, acute, equal, permanent. 

 Corolla: one-petalled, salver-shaped; tube four-cornered, 

 elongated; border four-parted; segments lanceolate, revo- 

 lute. Stamina: filamenta four, inserted in the middle of the 

 tube, awl-shaped, longer than the corolla; antherse erect, 

 acuminate. Pistil: germen four-cornered, inferior; style 

 filiform, longer than the stamina ; stigma obtuse, emarginate. 

 Pericarp : berry roundish, crowned by the calix, two- 

 grooved, two-celled. Seeds : solitary, hemispherical, striated. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: four-parted. Corolla: 

 one-petalled, salver-shaped ; berry two-celled. Seeds : soli- 

 tary. The only species hitherto discovered is, 



1. Ernodea Littoralis. Root perennial; stem square, smooth ; 

 leaves nearly sessile, acute, with a spinous point. Leaves on 

 the branchlets, opposite, sessile, an inch and a half long, 

 lanceolate, attenuated to both ends, veinless, obscurely 

 three-nerved or five-nerved, very smooth on both sides, shin- 

 ing, quite entire, mucronate, cusped, stipuled, surrounding 

 the branch, truncate, ciliate ; flowers axillary, opposite, ses- 

 sile, yellowish. It varies with broader and narrower leaves. 

 Browne has named this plant Knoxia, probably from Knox, 

 who resided many years in the island of Ceylon, and published 

 an account of it. Native of Jamaica, frequently found near 

 the shore in the parish of St. George, running three or four feet 

 or more along the ground, throwing out a few spreading 

 branches as it creeps along. 



Erodium ; a genus of the class Monadelphia, order Pentan- 

 dria. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth five-leaved; 

 leaflets ovate, acute, concave, permanent. Corolla : petals 

 five, obcordate or ovate, spreading, large; nectary, five scales 

 alternate with the filamenta, and milliferous glands placed at 

 the base of the stamina. Stamina : filamenta five, awl-shaped, 

 connected at the base with the scales into the shape of a 

 pitcher, but spreading at top, shorter than the corolla ; 

 antheroe oblong, versatile. Pistil: germen five-cornered, 

 beaked; style awl-shaped, longer than the stamina, perma- 

 nent; stigmas five, reflex. Pericarp: capsule five-grained, 

 beaked, the cells opening inwards, each having a long tail 

 fixed to it, which becomes spiral, and is hairy or bearded on 

 the inside. Seeds: solitary, (seldom two together,) ovate- 

 oblong. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: five-leaved. 

 Corolla : five-petalled. Nectary : five scales, alternate with 

 the filamenta, and glands at the base of the stamina. Fruit: 

 five-grained, with a spiral beak, bearded on the inside. For 



the propagation and culture of this genus, see Geranium. 



The species are, 



* Leaves compound, or pinnatifid. 



1. Erodium Absynthoides ; Wormwood-leaved Crane's-bill. 

 Caulescent: peduncles four-flowered, or thereabouts ; leaves 

 interruptedly bipinnate-laciniate; segments linear. Found in 

 Armenia by Tournefort, and on Mount Olympus by Dr. 

 John Sibthorp. 



2. Erodium Chrysanthum ; Golden-flowered Crane's-bill. 

 Almost stemless : peduncles four-flowered; leaves decom- 

 poundedly pinnate, laciniate, silky. This species is very 

 distinguishable by its yellow flowers. Found on Mount 

 Parnassus, by Sibthorp. 



VOL. i. -44. 



3. Erodium Trichomanifolium; Maidenhair-leaved Crane's- 

 bill. Stemless : scapes leafless, four-flowered ; leaves bipin- 

 natifid, hirsute. This differs from the preceding species, in 

 having the flowers flesh-coloured, marked with lines; the 

 leaves smaller, and less cut; the scapes leafless and radical. 

 It was discovered by Billardiere on Mount Libanus. 



4. Erodium Pulverulentum ; Hoary-leaved Crane's-bill. 

 Caulescent ; peduncles many-flowered ; leaves decompound- 

 edly laciniate, mealy, hoary. The whole of this plant is co- 

 vered with frequent, short, villose hairs, whence it has the 

 appearance of being dusty. Found in the kingdom of Tunis 

 in Africa. 



5. Erodium Crassifolium ; Upright Crane's-bill. Umbels 

 many-flowered ; leaves pinnatifid, laciniate, thick ; segments 

 linear. Native of the island of Cyprus. It flowers in April 

 and May. 



6. Erodium Foetidum ; Stinking Crane's-bill. Almost 

 stemless ; scapes radical, many-flowered ; leaves interruptedly 

 bipinnatifid ; petals roundish. All the leaves are heaped 

 about the root; they are hoary with hairs, the whole forming 

 a triangle; calices large, striated, very hirsute; leaflets blunt, 

 membranaceous at the edge, ending in a short awn; corolla 

 large, blue, purple, or red. Lobel reports this plant to be 

 insufferably fetid; others say, it is singular in having a very 

 strong nauseous smell ; and Gouan asserts, that its smell is 

 strong, but neither nauseous nor musky. Native of the 

 country about Montpellier. 



7. Erodium Macrademum; Spanish Crane's-bill. Subeau- 

 lescent : scapes radical, many-flowered ; leaves interruptedly 

 bipinnatifid; petals ovate. The herb of this plant exactly] 

 corresponds with that of the preceding species. Native of 

 Spain. 



8. Erodium Supracanum ; Silky-leaved Crane's-bill. 

 Almost stemless; scapes radical, two-flowered or thereabouts ; 

 leaves interruptedly bipinnatifid, thickish, silk-hoary on the 

 upper surface. Found in Montserrat in Catalonia. 



9. Erodium Petroselinum ; Parsley-leaved Crane's-bill. 

 Peduncles two-flowered ; leaves pinnate ; leaflets pinnatifid ; 

 segments linear. It is found upon the sandy coasts of Barbary. 



10. Erodium Alpinum ; Alpine Crane's-bill. Peduncles 

 many-flowered; leaves interruptedly pinnatifid, laeiniate ; 

 root perennial, running very deep into the ground; lower 

 leaves smooth, and on very long footstalks ; stems a foot and 

 a half high, with leaves of the same form, but smaller, and 

 opposite ; flowers purple, many together, on very long pe- 

 duncles. Native of Italy. It flowers with us in June, but 

 will not ripen its seed in England. 



11. Erodium Romanum ; Roman Crane's-bill. Stemless: 

 scapes radical, many-flowered; leaves pinnate, leaflets pin- 

 natifid. It has a rather thick tuberous root; stems irregular, 

 branching, diffused, somewhat woody, and having swelling 

 joints ; at each of these is one leaf, opposite to which comes 

 out the peduncle; the peduncles on the lower part of the 

 stem are very long and naked, but those which terminate the 

 branches are shorter, and have one or two small leaves at the 

 base ; the flowers are in small bunches, and continue in suc- 

 cession most parts of the summer. Native of Italy, where it 

 is found about Rome ; also of the Pyrenees, and of Provence. 



12. Erodium Cicutarium; Hemlock-leaved Crane's-bill. 

 Peduncles many-flowered ; leaves pinnate ; leaflets sessile, 

 pinnatifid. Root annual ; stems several, thickish, round, hir- 

 sute, procumbent, and branched ; pinnas of the leaves 

 slightly hairy ; pinnules sharply indented ; flowers in an umbel, 

 from three to six, of a rose-colour. This species varies ex- 

 tremely, from nearly smooth to very hairy, and from very 

 large and branched, with a many-flowered umbel, to small 



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