mcj 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



liead, and is glabrous or nearly so ; wliile in Sicversia,^ wrongly made 

 into a distinct genus, it is straight, and elongates into a slender 

 rod, covered with long hairs after fertilization. The multiple fruit 

 consists of numerous achenes, surmounted by the persistent styles, 

 and borne on a common more or less elongated column, representing 

 the top of the tloral axis. In each achene is an erect seed, whose 

 membranous coats inclose an exalbuminous embryo, with its radicle 

 inferior. Gcum consists of perennial herbs, whose growth recalls 

 the Strawberries and Potentils. Their leaves possess two lateral 

 petiolary stipules and are imparipinnate, or pinnatisect towards the 

 base of the stem. The Howers are solitary, or clustered in often 

 few-Howered cymes on a common peduncle. 



The Siberian plant that has been designated Culuricr is only a 

 Geum, whose styles are articulated at the base and fall off the 

 achenes in the fruit.^ IFaldsfcinia* (figs. 433, 434) presents the same 

 peculiarity, and has, moreover, the flowers of Coluna, but the 

 number of carpels is reduced ; there are often only five or six, and 

 one species^ cultivated in our gardens has usually only two or 



' W., Berl. Mag., v. 398.— R. Be., Parr. 

 First Voy., App., 286, t. c. — Cham. & Schltl., 

 lAnncBa, ii.4. — Endl., Oen., n. G38i. — Buchavea 

 llEiCH., Cowtpect., 167. — Adamsia Fiscit., cx 

 E.VDL., loc. cit. — Oreogeum Seb., DC, Prodr., 

 ii. 553. 



2 R. Bk., Parr. First Voy., App., 276, not. 

 —hoF.., Lede/j. Fl. .4/<.,ii. 262.— Endl., Oen., 

 n. 6388. — 15. II., Gen., 611), n. Mi.—Larmannia 

 FiscH., cx Lkueu., loc. cit. — Geum Laxmanni 

 Cl.fJUTN., Fnict., i. 132, t. 74.— DC, Prodr., ii. 

 B'ji, 11. 28 (sect. Slivtogeum Seu.). — O. polen- 

 tilloides Ait., J/orf. Kew., cd. 1, v. 2, 219.— 

 JJrif'ui geoides I'all., It,, iii. 372, t. v. fifj. 1, 

 U, C 



• The bnso of the carpels is also articulated 

 with the rccei)taclc. In tlio cultivated plant 

 there arc sometimes two equally developed 

 ovulcM ill each carpel, even at maturity. 



* W., N. Verh. Berl. Nalur. Freuml., ii. 106. 

 t. I, fii?. 1 ; Sprr., ii. I()(i7.— Wai.dht. & Kit., 

 Plant. Jlungar. liar., I. 77.— S VMTL., Put ., 17, 

 t. i.— DC, Prodr., ii. 555.— Si-ACn, Suit, ii 

 Buffon, i. 481.— Eniil., Gen., n. 63H2.— 15. M., 

 Gen., 611>, n. 45.- Comaropsiji L. C Run., 

 Nkhtl., Pol., 16, t. 1. DC, Prodr., ii. 555. 

 Enul., Gen., n. 6383 (cx part.). 



4 W. Gfolde.i W.. loc. cit. Koin)., Kol. 

 Cah., t. Wi. Pol. M,ig.,i. 25<t5. It in ii pe- 

 rciiiiiiil hcrh, whow rhi/.oiiie iHcovoriil witli nlt«'r- 

 iiatc h-uvi.'H or tlieir sairH, iiiiil wilii advent itioim 



roots. In the spring this rhizome elongates by 

 its superior extremity, which gradually rises ver- 

 tically. This part bears new leaves, dilated and 

 sheathing at the base of the petiole, but with- 

 out true stipules. Axillary to these are leafy 

 branches or inflorescences. The Horifcroiis 

 branches bear first some leaves, which here jhw- 

 ses-s distinct stiiiuK's, and then alternate bnicts. 

 A single flower of tiie first generation t^-riiiiiiates 

 the axis; then arises from the axil ofcachof the 

 bracts below it a secomlary axis, also terminated 

 by a flower, and itself bearing an axis of the third 

 order. Thus the iiifloresceiue is analogous to that 

 of Geum ])ro|)cr, a terminal panicle of alternate 

 uniparous few-flowered cymes. In the flower wo 

 have a calydo whose leaves may In? dethiplicated, 

 a valvato calyx, and an imbricated oorolln. The 

 petals have at the base a little glandular nectary 

 bounded internally by a scale very miuh like 

 tliat on the petals of several Crowfoots. There 

 are from thirty to forty stamens. In the former 

 Ciise five are superposed to the .sepals, and the 

 rest are in five groups of five eacli in front of 

 the potids. The interior of the loeeptade is 

 lined by a glandular disk, first of all forming a 

 festoon projecting to the foot of each of the in- 

 nermost |>etiils, and tlieii Itoeomiiig thinner and 

 extending to above the insertion of the corolla. 

 The bottom of tiie rece]>tacle rises up into a 

 slender column as in Geum ; but instead of bcini; 

 smooth or pitted, it divides iit the h\h-x into two 



