TETRANDRIA— MONOGYNIA. Asperula. 197 



Sherardia. Dill. Giss. append. 96. t.3. Blair Boi. Ess. 155. t.4. 



f. 6. Hall. Hist. n. 734. ?;. 1 . 321 . 

 Rubeola arvensis coerulearepens. Bauh. Proclr. 145. RaiiSyn. 22b. 

 Asperula flore cameo, acuto folio. Barrel. Ic. <. 541./. 1 . 



In fallow fields, or among corn, on a light, or gravelly, soil. 



Annual. June — August. 



Root small. Herb generally hairy. Stems several, branched, 

 spreading, mostly decumbent, square, leafy, 3 to 6 inches long. 

 Leaves 6 in a whorl, obovate, acute, entire, palish green j 

 roughest at the edges and keel. Fl. in a sessile terminal umbel, 

 enveloped with 1 or 2 of the upper whorls, whose leaves are 

 narrower, often more numerous, than the rest. Cor. slender, of 

 a pale purplish blue. Anth. tawny. Stigmas cajjitate. Fruit 

 of 2 globular, closely combined seeds, roughish, crowned with 

 the somewhat enlarged calyx. 



This is perhaps the only genuine species of Sherardia. Two others, 

 muralis and erecta, may be seen in the Flora Gr<rca ; but these 

 have oblong disunited seeds, whose crown is but obscure, and 

 whose_^OM'ers are yellow, with simple stigmas. S. fruticosa of 

 Linnseus has not the calyx proper to the genus, and resembles 

 in habit Ernodea montana, Fl. Grcec, t. 143, 



68. ASPERULA. Woodruff. 



Linn. Gen.bO. Juss. 196. Fl. Br. 172. Lam. t.Gl. 

 Nat. Ord. see n. 67. 



Cal. superior, of 4- small teeth, deciduous. Cor. monopeta- 

 lous, funnel-shaped; tube neai'ly cylindrical, various in 

 length ; limb in 4, occasionally but 3, deep, oblong, spread- 

 ing segments. Filam. in the mouth of the tube, alternate 

 with the segments, short. Anth. of 2 round lobes. Germ. 

 infei'ior, of 2 roundish lobes. Style thread-shaped, divided 

 at the upper part. Stigm. capitate, small. Seeds 2, naked, 

 combined, globular, not crowned by the calyx. 



Herbaceous, or somewhat shrubb}', all Europaean, of rather 

 humble stature. Leaves sessile, whorled, either nume- 

 rously, or not more than 4. Fl. always terminal, panicled, 

 white, or reddish, rarely yellowish or blue ; often fra- 

 grant. Seeds rough or smooth. 



1 . A. odorata. Sweet Woodruff. 



Leaves eight in a whoi'l, lanceolate. Panicles stalked, of 

 few flowers. 



A. odorata. Linn. Sp.Fl.lh^. Willd.v. l.57b. Fl.Br.l72. Engl. 

 Bot. v.ll. t. 755. Curt. Lond.fasc. 4. 1. 15. Hook. Scot. 50. Fl. 

 Dan. t. 562. Dod. Pempt. 355./. Willem. Stcll. 65. 



