ERYTHMA.] GENTIANS^. 271 



twisted, exserted. Ovary almost 2-celled ; style deciduous, stigmas 2- 

 lamellate ; ovules many. Capsule linear 1- or almost 2-celled, 2-valved, 

 many-seeded. Seeds minute. DISTRIB. N. temp, regions ; species 15. 

 ETYM. epvQpos, from the red flowers. 



E. Centau'rium, Pers. ; radical leaves ovate or oblong- spathulate. 



Dry pastures and sandy coasts, N. to Shetland ; Ireland ; Channel Islands ; 

 fl. June-Sept. Erect, glabrous, 6-18 in., usually branched above. Radical 

 leaves J-2 in., upper sometimes linear. Flowers -| in. diam., many, red 

 or pink (heterostyled with dimorphic pollen, H. Mutter}. Calyx-lcbes 

 linear-subulate. Corolla-lobes oblong, obtuse or subacute. Capsule slender. 

 DISTRIB. From Gothland southd., N. Africa ; introd. in N. America. 



I am quite unable to follow critical authors in their endeavours to limit the 

 British forms of this variable plant. Of these Babington makes 5 and 

 Nyman 7 species. Regarding those of the former author as sub-species, 

 they are the following. (The comparative length of calyx and corolla-tube 

 must be observed on the expansion of the flower.) 



E. CENTAU'RIUM proper; branched above, leaves 3-7-nerved, leaves oblong 

 upper acute, cymes lax or compact, flowers subsessile, corolla-tube about 

 twice as long as the calyx, lobes ovate. VAR. capita'ta, Koch (E. latifo'lia, 

 Engl. Bot.), is a stunted var. with capitate flowers. Pastures. 



Sub-sp. E. LATIFO'LIA, Sm. ; stem shorter subsimple, leaves broad lowest 

 rounded 5-7-nerved, flowers in subcapitate cymes, corolla-tube about 

 equalling the calyx, lobes lanceolate. Shores near Liverpool. 



Sub-sp. E. LITTORA'LIS, Fries ; stem or stems simple, leaves ovate-oblong 

 obtuse, radical crowded spathulate, cymes dense-fld., corolla-tube equalling 

 the calyx, lobes oblong obtuse. E. chlorides. Gen. and Godr. Sandy shores, 

 N. to Shetland. This is referred to linarifo'lia, Pers., by Nyman, who further 

 puts chloo'des with littora'lis, Sm., Engl. FL, into confer 'ta, Pers. 



Sub-sp. E. PULCHEL'LA, Fries ; stem simple or branched tetraquetrous, leaves 

 oblong-lanceolate radical few, cymes lax-fld., flowers all pedicelled, corolla- 

 tube longer than the calyx, lobes oblong obtuse. -Sandy ground, from 

 Dumfries and Haddington southd. VAR. E.tenuijlo'ra, Link, from the I. of 

 Wight, has a long corymbose inflorescence. It is referred to latifo'lia, Sm., 

 by Nyman. 



Sub-sp. E. CAPITA'TA, Willd.; stem short, leaves oblong or subspathulate 

 obtuse, radical rosulate 3-5-nerved, cymes dense-fld. sessile, corolla-tube 

 equalling the calyx, top not constricted, not elongating, lobes oblong obtuse, 

 stamens inserted at the base of the tube, capsule ^ protruded. Downs, 

 I. of Wight and Eastbourne. The insertion of the stamens being anomalous 

 in the Order, suggests this being a heteroclite form of E. Centau'rium. 

 It has been found in Norway and Prussia. It is omitted in Nyman. 



5. GENTIA'NA, L. GENTIAN. 



Herbs of various habit. Learns opposite. Flowers solitary, or in ter- 

 minal cymes. Calyx 4-5-fid or -partite, or spathaceous. Corolla 4-5-lobed, 

 angles sometimes folded and produced, throat naked bearded or with five 

 scales. Stamens 4-5, inserted within the corolla-tube, included. Disk 

 annular. Ovary 1-celled; stigmas 2, persistent, recurved ; ovules many. 



