SPECIES AND VARIETIES. 227 



stem, or in the axils of the upper leaves, forming a loose, 

 leafy, terminal cyme ; flowers small, bright yellow, mostly with 

 four petals ; the first one, however, of each stem has occa- 

 sionally five. Heaths, moors, and pastures. Fl. June to 

 August. 



The Tormentilla reptans of authors is a more procumbent 

 variety, occasionally creeping at the base, with rather larger 

 flowers, more frequently furnished with five petals. 



ff Petals usually five. 



P. reptans : stems slender, prostrate, often rooting at the 

 nodes ; stipules ovate, mostly entire ; leaves stalked, with five 

 obovate, coarsely-toothed leaflets; flowers large, yellow, soli- 

 tary, on long peduncles, axillary. Cinquefoil. Pastures, bor- 

 ders of woods, and hedges. Fl. June to August. 



P. argentea : stems decumbent at the base, ascending ; 

 leaves long-stalked, of five wedge-shaped, deeply-toothed leaf- 

 lets, the upper nearly sessile, all clothed beneath with close 

 white down ; flowers in a loosely-forked leafy corymb or pani- 

 cle, rather small, yellow. Gravelly pastures, wastes, and road- 

 sides. Fl. June, July. 



** Leaves pinnate. 

 j* Flowers yellow. 



P. anserina : stem forming long creeping runners rooting 

 at the nodes ; leaves with numerous, oblong, deeply-toothed 

 leaflets, shining silver- white with silky down beneath ; pedun- 

 cles long, solitary, bearing a rather large yellow flower. 

 Silverweed. Roadsides and waste places. Fl. June and July. 



ft Flowers purple. 



P. Comarum : stems decumbent and rooting at the base, 

 1-1 J feet high; stipules not distinct from the enlarged base 



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