20 NA TURA L 7/"7.s' TO R Y OF PLANTS. 



TroUiits!,' again, is a genus admitted by all, but very little marked, 

 aud without any good distinction from the Hellebores. If, in fact, 

 we examine tlie flower of T. asiaticus L., often cultivated in our 

 gardens, we shall see that it has often a petaloid calyx of five imbri- 

 cated sepals,- and five short thickened petals^ or nectaries, grooved 

 on the inner fiice, at the base of which is a glandular projection 

 which secretes nectar. The stamens, very numerous and spirally 

 arranced, have a free filament and a basifixed anther, rather extrorse 

 than introrse.^ The indefinite carpels are multiovulate, and the 

 anatropous ovules' are in two vertical rows, and touch by their 

 raphes. 



Tlierefore, the only difference between these flowers and the 

 Hellebores is that the nectaries are not tubular or cup-sliaped. 

 We find specimens of Trollius, in which the sepals become very 

 numerous, and others in which, the nectaries, are also indefinite 

 in number (fig. 37). The sepals are more or less caducous, but 

 persist longer in Ilegcmone^' which cannot on that account be generi- 

 cally separated from Trollius. In all of tbem the fruits are follicles." 

 They are perennial herbs with subterranean rhizomes, and palmi- 

 veined, lobed, or dissected alternate leaves ; flowers solitary terminal, 

 or few in number and arranged like those of Aquile(^ia or Nigella. 

 They inhabit the northern hemisphere in both Worlds, and are espe- 

 cially common in northern Asia.^ 



Like nearly all the preceding genera, this may present flowers 



' Trollius L., Oen., n. 700. — Juss. Gen., 233. canus becomes afterwards concave externally. 



Lame., III., t.449. — DC, Frodr., i. 45. — Spach, and in the same way the two cells of T.europceus, 



Suit, a Buff. vii. 29G. — Exdl., Gen., n. 4787. in the end project towards the jjerianth. 

 — B. II., Gen., 7, n. 17. — H. Bn. Adansonia, * They have two coats. 



iv. 48. — Hellehori spec, T., I. cit. — Geisenia ^ Hegemone lilacina BuNGE, Ledeb., Fl. 



^\Y., New YorkMed. Rep.{\.),'n.4&0. Ross., \. hi.— T. lilacinns BuXGE, Fl. Alt.- 



^ More usually there is a larger number of sn])pl., 44. 

 these organs, especially in cultivated plants. ? The follicles, united into a more or less com- 



' This number is relatively rare. More often pressed head, are either smooth or wrinkled 



we find five groups of two, three, or more of these transversely, and surmounted by the remains of 



scales. In T. amerieanu.t, europeew.i, asiaticus, the style, which is placed on the side opposite 



they have the shape of a racket, but with the the line of dehiscence. The seeds are smooth, 



handle narrower and the body longer in proportion, shining, and dark in colour. The outer envelope 



grooved by a canal above. The top is truncated is reticulate and minutely punctate ; the inner, 



horizontally or obliquely, rounded or emarginate. white and cellular. The raphe projects but 



In llcrjemone they are nearly ilat, spathulate little. The albumen is fleshy and copious, with a 



"'""^''- very small embryo near the apex. 



* In T. americanus and many others the inner ^ Gren. & Godr., Fl. Fr., i. 40.— Reichb., 



stamens are the shorter ; the line of dehiscence Icon., iv. t. 102. — A. Gray, III., 11.— Hook. 



is a little turned outwards. In T. asiaticus i\\\s. & Th., Fl. Lid., i. 41.— Walp., Rep., i. 47, 



line is (pjite on the margin. 'Hie connective is ii. 740, Ann., iv. 29. 

 at first broad and flattened. That of T. nmeri- 



