140 THE ROSE FAMILY. [AlchemUla. 



2. A. alpina, Linn. (fig. 324). Alpine A. An elegant plant, with 

 much of the general habit of A. vulgaris, but known at once by the 

 shining silvery hairs, which cover the stems and under side of the 

 leaves. The stock often emits short, creeping runners. Leaves smaller 

 than in A. vulgaris, and divided to the base, or nearly so, into 5 or 7 

 oblong, almost entire segments. Flowers in little, dense corymbs, which 

 form short, interrupted spikes or panicles at the ends of the branches. 



In the principal mountain-ranges of Europe, but generally at greater 

 elevations than A. vulgaris, and in Asia and America almost restricted 

 to the Arctic regions. Abundant in the mountains of Scotland and 

 northern England, and occurs also in those of Kerry and Sligo in 

 Ireland. Fl. summer. [A. argentea, Don (conjuncta, Bab.), is a curious 

 sport, with the leaflets connate below the middle, found in a few spots 

 in Scotland, as well as in France and Switzerland.] 



3. A. arvensis, Scop. (fig. 325). Parsley Piert. A little annual, so 

 different in appearance from the last two that Linnaeus considered it as 

 forming a distinct genus (Aphanes, Linn.), but the essential characters 

 are the same as in Alckemilla. It is seldom more than 2 or 3 inches 

 high, and often in full flower at 1 inch, much branched, green, and 

 softly hairy. Leaves on short stalks, orbicular, more or less deeply 

 divided and cut. Flowers very minute, green, and sessile, forming 

 little heads in the axils of the leaves, half enclosed in the leafy stipules. 



In fields and waste gravelly places, on earthy wall tops, &c., through- 

 out Europe and western Asia, and carried by cultivation into other 

 countries. Abundant in Britain. Fl. the whole season. 



IX. SANGUISORBA. SANGUISORB. 



Herbs, with a perennial stock, annual, erect, or ascending stems, and 

 pinnate leaves. Flowers in dense oval or cylindrical heads, at the ends 

 of long peduncles. Calyx simple, of 4 coloured lobes, the tube enclosed 

 in 2 or 4 bracts. Petals none. Stamens few. Carpels 1 or rarely 2, 

 1-seeded, enclosed in the dry, oblong tube of the calyx. 



The genus consists but of very few European, north Asiatic, and 

 North American species. They are closely allied to the following 

 genus, with which they are popularly included under the name of 

 Uurnet, the chief distinction being in the small number of stamens, and 

 the flowers usually hermaphrodite. 



1. S. officinalis, Linn. (fig. 326). Great Burnet. A glabrous and 

 erect perennial, attaining about 2 feet in height. Leaves chiefly radical 

 or from the lower part of the stem, with 9 to 13 ovate or oblong, toothed 

 segments ; the upper part of the stem almost leafless, and divided into 

 3 or 4 long peduncles, each terminated by a single head of flowers, at 

 first globular, then ovoid or oblong, rarely an inch long. Flowers much 

 crowded, and more or less tinged with dark purple. Stamens usually 

 4, but varying from 3 to 6. Poterium officinale, Hook. f. 



In moist meadows, chiefly in mountainous districts, almost all over 

 Europe and Russian Asia to the Arctic Circle. In Britain, not un- 

 common from Ayr and Selkirk southwards ; rare in Ireland. Fl. 

 tummer. 



