Potamoyeton.] TETRANDRIA— TETRAGYNIA. 57 



1-seeded, enclosed by the enlarged perianth. (One or more of 

 the central florets without stamens.) — Nat. OrJ. Urtice^, Juss. 

 — Named from paries, a icall, the species frequently growing 

 on old walls. 



14. Alchemi'lla. Perianth inferior, 8-cleft, the 4 alternate 

 and outer segments the smallest. Fruit 1- or 2-seeded, sur- 

 rounded by the persistent perianth. — Nat. Orel. RosACEiE, Juss. 

 — Named from the Arabic alkemelijeh, alchemy, from its pre- 

 tended alchemical virtues. 



15. IsNARDiA. Cal. 4-cleft, superior. Petals 4, or wanting. 

 Stigtna capitate. Capsule obovate, 4-angHlar, 4-valved, 4-celled, 

 many-seeded, crowned with the calyx. — Nat. Ord. Onagkari^. 

 Juss. — Named after Antoine d'Isnard, a Botanist and Professor 

 at Paris, in the beginning of the last century — As the Genus 

 is now defined here, and by De Candolle, it contains many spe- 

 cies of Ludioigia. 



16. Sanguisorba. Perianth 4-lobed, superior, coloured, with 

 4 scales or bracteas at the base. Fruit 1- or 2-seeded, sur- 

 rounded by the persistent base only of the perianth. — Nat. Ord. 

 RosACEiE, Juss. — Named from sajiguis, blood, and sorbeo, to take 

 upov absorb; from the supposed vulnerary properties of the plant. 



ORD. II. DIGYNIA. 2 Styles. 



17. BuFFoNiA. Cal. of 4 leaves. Cor. of 4 entire petals. 

 Caps, flattened, 1-celled, 2-valved, 2-seeded — Nat. Ord. Cary- 



OPHYLLE^, Juss Name given by Sauvages in honour of the 



celebrated Buffbn, " who had indeed very slender pretensions 

 to botanical honour ; a circumstance supposed to have been in- 

 dicated by Linnaeus in the specific name tenuifoliaJ" (Sm.) 

 (See Alchemilla in Ord. II. Some Gentiance and Cuscuta in Cl. V.) 



ORD. III. TETRAGYNIA. 4 Styles. 



18. Ilex. Cal. 4 — 5-toothed. Cor. rotate, 4 — 5-cleft. Stig- 

 mas 4, sessile. Berry sphterical, including 4, 1-seeded nuts. 

 (Some flowers destitute of pistil). — Nat. Ord. Ilicine^e, Br. 

 — Named from ac, sharp, in Celtic, according to Theis ; but 

 this is a very forced derivation. 



19. PoTAMOGETON. Flowcrs sessile upon a spike or spadix, 

 which issues from a sheathing bractea or spatha. Perianth single, 

 of 4 scales. Anthers sessile, opposite the scales of the perianth. 

 Pistils 4, which become 4 small nuts; Embryo curved. — Nat, 

 Ord. Naiades, Juss. — Named from itoraiMc,, a river, and yzirw, 

 a neighbour. All the species grow in the water, and often pre- 

 sent as beautiful an appearance in clear streams and ponds, as 

 the Fuci do in the ocean. They protect the spawn of fish, and 

 harbour innumerable aquatic insects, their roots and seeds af- 

 fording food to water-birds. — Chamisso and Schlechtendal have 

 well illustrated this genus ; see Linncea, v. ii. p. 159. 



