riM 



NATURAL HISTORY OF PLANTS. 



lieacl, and is glabrous or nearly so ; while in Sieversia,' wrongly made 

 into a distinct genus, it is straight, and elongates into a slender 

 rod, covered with long hairs after fertilization. The multiple fruit 

 consists of numerous achenes, surmounted by the persistent styles, 

 and liorne on a common more or less elongated column, representing 

 the toj) of tlie lloral axis. In each acliene is an erect seed, whose 

 membranous coats inclose an exalbuminous embryo, with its radicle 

 inferior. Gcnm consists of perennial herbs, whose growth recalls 

 the Strawberries and Potentils. Their leaves possess two lateral 

 pctiolary stipules and are imparipinnate, or pinnatisect towards the 

 base of the stem. The flowers are solitary, or clustered in often 

 few-flowered cymes on a common peduncle. 



The Siberian plant that has been designated Coluricr is only a 

 Geinii, whose styles are articulated at the base and fall off" the 

 achenes in the fruit.' Waldsteinid' (figs. 433, 434) presents the same 

 peculiarity, and has, moreover, the flowers of Coluria, but the 

 number of carpels is reduced ; there are often only five or six, and 

 one species' cultivated in our gardens has usually only two or 



' W., Berl. Mag., v. 398.— R. Br., Parr. 

 First Voy., App., 286, t. c. — Cham. & Schltl., 

 Linnrea, ii.l. — ExDL., Gen., n. 638 1-. — Buchavea 

 Reich., Conapect., 167. — Adamsia Fiscn., ex 

 Endl., loc. cit. — Oreogeum See., DC, Prodr., 

 ii. 553. 



= R. Be., Parr. First Toy., App., 276, not. 

 — BcE., Ledeb. Fl. Alt., ii. 262.— Endl., Gen., 

 n. 6388. — B. H., Gen., 619, n. 46. — Laxmaniiia 

 FiscH., ex Ledeb., loc. cit. — Getnn Laxmanni 

 G.t^RTN., Friwt., i. 132, t. 71s — DC, Prodr., ii. 

 554, II. 28 (sect. Stictogeutn See.). — G. poten- 

 fi/luides AiT., Hort. Kew., ed. 1, v. 2, 219. — 

 Drijas geoides Pall., It,, iii. 372, t. v. fig. 1, 

 B, C. 



' The base of the carpels is also articulated 

 with the receptacle. In the cultivated plant 

 there ore sometimes two equally developed 

 ovules in each carpel, even at maturity. 



* W., y. Verh. Berl. Natur. Freund., ii. 106, 

 t. 4. fit,'. 1; Spec. ii. 1007.— Waldst. & Kit., 

 Phnt. llungnr. Ear., t. 77. — Nestl., Pot., 17, 

 t. i. — DC, Prodr., ii. 555. — SPACn, Suit, a 

 Buffon, i. 481.— E.NDL., Gen., n. 6382.— B. H., 

 Gen., 619, n. 45. — Comaropsis L. C. Rich., 

 Nksti... Pol., 16, t. 1.— DC, Prodr., ii. 555.— 

 Enul.. Grii., n. r)3K3 (ex part.). 



* JK Geoides W., loc. cit. — Lodd., Bot. 

 Cab., t. 492.— «o/. Mag.,t. 2595. It is a pe- 

 rennial herb, whose rhizome is covered with alter- 

 nate leaves or their scars, and with adventitious 



roots. In the spring this rhizome elongates by 

 its superior extremity, which gradually rises ver- 

 tically. This part bears new leaves, dilated and 

 sheathing at the base of the petiole, but with- 

 out true stipules. Axillary to these are leafy 

 branches or inflorescences. The floriferous 

 branches bear first some leaves, which here pos- 

 sess distinct stipules, and then alternate bracts. 

 A single flower of the first generation terminates 

 the axis ; then arises from the axil of each of the 

 bracis below it a secondary axis, also terminated 

 by a flower, and itself bearing an axis of the third 

 order. Thus the inflorescence is analogous to that 

 of Geum proper, a terminal panicle of alternate 

 uniparous few-flowered cymes. In the flower we 

 have a calycle whose leaves may be deduplicated, 

 a valvate calyx, and an imbricated corolla. The 

 petals have at the base a little glandular nectary 

 bounded internally by a scale very much like 

 that on the petals of several Crowfoots. There 

 are from thirty to forty stamens. In the former 

 case five are superposed to the sepals, and the 

 rest are in five groups of five each in front of 

 the petals. The interior of the receptacle is 

 lined by a glandular disk, first of all forming a 

 festoon projecting to the foot of each of the in- 

 nermost petals, and then becomuig thinner and 

 extending to above the insertion of the corolla. 

 The bottom of the receptacle rises up into a 

 slender column as in Geum ; but instead of being 

 smooth or pitted, it divides at the apex into two 



