176 PENTANDRIA. DIGYNIA. 



subcordate, 2, sometimes 3- seeded. Calix in the 

 male flower entire. 



Herbaceous or arborescent. Stem of the herbaceous 

 species simple, verticillately terminating in 3 leaA'es, with 

 a solitary, central, pedunculate umbell; leaves digitate; 

 umbell involucrale; flowers frequently producing 3 styles 

 and 3 seeds. 



Species. 1. P.trifolhim. Dioicous. Pluk. Amalth. t. 

 435. f. 7. the male plant; referred through mistake to 

 Dentaria (Nasturtium.) 2. quinquefolium. Gin-seng. In- 

 digenous also to Tartary. 



Of this genus there are 5 other species; viz. 2 in the 

 West Indies, which become considerable trees, with co- 

 mose summits, an herbaceous species in New Holland, of 

 doubiful genus, 1 also which is arborescent in New Zea- 

 land, and a shrubby species in India, said to be diuretic. 



255. HYDROCOTYLE. i. (Marsh Penny- 

 wort.) 



Umbell simple. — Calix none. Fetals entire, 

 spreading. 6'^?//es short; stigmas capitate. FniU 

 suborhicular or reniform, laterally! compress- 

 ed. Seed tricostate, and flat, dorsal rib some- 

 times obsolete; commissure flat, linear, and im- 

 marginate. Involucrum various. 



Umbells axillary, sessile or pedunculate, many or few- 

 flowered, frequently proliferous; flowers bracteate, brac- 

 tes often resembling an involucrum. Plant herbaceous, 

 mostly creeping; leaves simple, peltate or reniform. 



Species. 1. //. americima. Fruit suborhicular. 2. 

 inilgaris. 3. vmbellata.. Fruit reniform. 



Of this genus there are 12 other species in South Ame- 

 rica, chiefly in Peru, besides H. mnbellata also indigenous 

 to Chili, 2 in Europe, 1 in India, 2 in the Isle of France, 



-f The direction in which the seeds of umbelliferous plants 

 are compressed, is doubtlt- ss in most instances of more generic 

 importance than the simple existence of pressure. I hi»ve 

 therefore for the sake of distinction, divided the species of 

 compression into Zo^era/ and Jor^a/. Hy lateral coinpression is 

 meant, that the seed is elevated on the back and compressed on 

 the sides. By dorsal compression, is intended that form of ap- 

 pression familiar in the seeds of the Parsnip {Pastinaca sativa,) 

 the back of the seed being flat and the sides dilated, in fact, a 

 form almost precisely opposite to the preceding. 



