336 GENTIANA. Lclass v, order ii. 



Stamens arising from about the middle of the tube, and about the 

 same length. Filaments awl-shaped. Anthers of two long narrow 

 cells, united round the style. Stj/les united, as long as the stamens. 

 Stigmas semi-orbicular toothed. 



Habitat. — Mountainous districts; near Haverfordwest, South 

 Wales. — 31. de St. Amans. 



Perennial ; flowering in June and July. 



We have some doubt as to the claim this has tobe admitted as a native 

 plant, it having most probably escaped from the garden, where it is much 

 cultivated for the beauty of its rich flowers, either in small beds or along 

 the borders, and certainly few flowers surpass it in the richness and 

 splendour of its colours It is frequent on the mountain pastures of 

 the Continent, and is sometimes used as a tonic, a principle possessed 

 by all tlie plants of this order. Several varieties are mentioned of this 

 plant, depending upon the length of the stem and the size and width 

 of the leaves, as growing upon the Appenine mountains, in Italy. 



2. G. Prieumonan'the, Linn. (Fig. 404.) Marsh Gentian. Flowers 

 solitary, or numerou-s, terminal and axillary ; stigmas linear, oblong ; 

 leaves linear. 



English Botany, t. 20. — English Flora, vol. ii. p. 27. — Hooker, 

 British Flora, vol. i. p. 125. — Lindley, Synopsis, p. 178. 



Root of numerous long stout simple brown branches. Stem simple, 

 solitary, or several from the same root, square, erect or bent at the 

 base, smooth and leafy, from four to twelve inches high. Leaves 

 opposite, linear, or linear lanceolate, obtuse or acute at the point, the 

 margin fine serrated towards the point, smooth, paler beneath, single 

 ribbed, sessile, and united at the base into a short tube round the stem. 

 Flotvers terminal and axillary, solitary, or mostly numerous, the 

 axillary ones on short footstalks. Calyx tubular, membranous, with 

 five broad ribs, terminating in linear lanceolate segments, with mi- 

 nutely serrated margins at the base of the calyx; there is mostly a pair 

 of linear bractea, and sometimes several. Corolla somewhat bell- 

 shaped or funnel-shaped, the tube yellow at the base, blue above, the 

 limb plaited in five broadly lanceolate acute segments, of a rich deep 

 blue, mostly notched between, and marked with five greenish streaks 

 outside. Stamens arising from about the middle of the tube on awl- 

 shaped //amenta. Anthers of two linear cells, united around the style, 

 beneath the linear oblong stigmas, which are minutely granulated. 

 Capsule of one cell, surrounded by the withered flower, oblong, 

 cylindrical, on a contracted footstalk, pointed at the extremity by the 

 styles, which roll back, and separate the two valves at the apex for the 

 escape of the seed, smooth, with two simple dorsal and the two lateral 

 ribs, where the valves separate. Seeds very numerous, minute, ovate, 

 attenuated, and beautifully marked with sunk dots, attached by their 



