140 PENTANDBJA DIGYNIA. [cL. V. 



mens without a scale at the base ; styles included ; corolla with a 



cylindrical tube longer than the close-pressed calyx. Parasitic 



on nettles, thistles, flax, and other plants : stem long, thread-like, 

 red, branched, twining : flowers in dense round heads, pale-co- 

 loured. Annual : flowers in August and September : not frequent. 

 Eng. Bot. vol. vi. pi. 378. Eng. FL vol. ii. p. 24. 403. 



2. C. epilinum. Flax Dodder. Heads of about five fleshy flowers ; 

 styles included ; corolla with a rounded tube scarcely longer than 

 the spreading, bell-shaped calyx. Parasitic on flax: distin- 

 guished from the preceding by the flowers being fewer in a head, 

 and much more fleshy. Annual : flowers in August and Septem- 

 ber : discovered by Mr. J. E. Bowman at Ellesmere, on flax, among 

 which it is supposed to have been introduced from the continent. 

 Brit. Fl. 4th ed. p. 109. 401. 



3. C. epithy'mum. Lesser Dodder. Heads of many small flowers ; 

 stamens with a notched scale at the base ; styles projecting from 

 the flower; corolla with a straight tube, shorter than the funnel- 

 shaped calyx. Parasitic on furze, heath, thyme, and other plants : 



stem thread-like, twisted : flowers white. Whole plant smaller 

 than the two preceding. Annual : flowers in July and August : 

 frequent. Eng. Bot. vol. i. pi. 55. Eng. Fl. vol. ii. p. 25. 405. 



48. GENTIA'NA. GENTIAN. 



Calyx inferior, of one leaf, divided into five, sometimes four, 

 oblong, acute, permanent segments. Corolla of one petal ; 

 tubular in its lower part, the limb deeply divided into five, 

 sometimes four, equal segments. Filaments four or five, awl- 

 shaped, shorter than the corolla ; anthers oblong. Gerrnen 

 oblong, nearly cylindrical, pointed. Styles short, erect ; stigmas 

 flat, egg-shaped. Capsule oblong, or elliptical, cylindrical, 

 pointed, slightly cleft, two-valved, one-celled. Seeds numerous, 

 small, compressed, attached to the inflected edges of the valves. 

 Named after Gentius, a king of Illyria. 133. 



1. G. Pneumondnthe. Marsh Gentian. Corolla bell-shaped, five- 

 cleft; flowers stalked ; leaves linear. Stems simple, square, from 



four to ten inches high -. leaves sessile, obtuse : flowers large, few 

 on each stem : corolla deep-blue, with five prominent, pale-greenish 

 angles. Perennial : flowers in August and September : grows in 

 moist pastures and marshes, in Norfolk and the North of England : 

 not common. Eng. Bot. vol. i. pi. 20. Eng. Fl. vol. ii. p. 27. 406. 



2. G. verna. Spring Gentian. Corolla salver- shaped, crenate, 

 five-cleft ; segments lobed at the base ; leaves egg-shaped, crowded. 



Stems short, each bearing a single blue flower. Perennial . 



flowers in April . grows in mountainous pastures : rare. Found in 

 Teesdale Forest abundantly, by the Rev. J. Harriman and Mr. 

 Oliver, and in various parts of Ireland. Eng. Bot. vol. vii. pi. 493. 

 Eng. Fl. vol. ii. p. 29. 407. 



3. G.nivdlis. Small Alpine Gentian. Corolla funnel-shaped, five- 

 cleft, with notched intermediate segments ; branches alternate, 



one-flowered. Stem erect, from one to four inches high, bearing 



from two to ten flowers : leaves small, elliptical, acute : corolla 

 bright-blue, with a greenish tube. Annual : flowers in August : 



