VII T. 



ASARUM EUROPEUM. 



Asarahacca. 



Chisa XI. DoDECANDRiA. — Order I, Monogynia. 



Nat. Ord. Aristolochi^e. 



Gen. Char. Perianth single, 3-cleft, superior. Capsule 

 six-celled, coriaceous, crowned. 



Spec. Char. Leaves binate, rcniform, obtuse. 



SYNONYMES, 



Greek atra^'-.f, Dioscorides. 



_ . I Asaiiim. Baiih. Pi7i. 197. Ger. Etn. 836. Rail. Sun. ] 58. 



[Liutin ; . _ 



I Asamm Europaeum. X,m. Sp. PL 633. 



French .... Asaret; Cabaret; Rondelie; Oreille dhomme; Nard Sauvage. 



Italian .... Asaro. 



Spanish and t 



„ , > Asaro. 



Portuguese. ) 



German . , . Wild Narde ; Haselkraut. 



Dutch .... Hazelkniid ; IMans-ooren. 



Swedish .... Hasselort. • 



Arabic .... Asarun. 



Description. — The root (rhizoma) is perennial, creeping, 

 tortuous, jointed, fleshy, but somewhat ligneous, and has nume- 

 rous fibres. The stem is very short, round, simple, pubescent, 

 generally bearing two leaves, from the axil of which the flower 

 springs. The leaves are opposite, kidney-shaped, dark green, 

 smooth and shining above, lighter and slightly hairy beneath, and 

 stand on long footstalks. The flower is solitary, on a short pe- 

 duncle, drooping, externally coriaceous and of a greenish brown 

 colour, dusky purple within. The perianth (calyx) is persistent, 

 campanulate, divided at the mouth into three pointed segments, 

 which are inclined inwards. The stamens are twelve, rather 

 short, situated on the germen ; the filaments are produced be- 

 yond the cells of the anthers, as in Paris. The germen is inferior, 



