52 GYNANDRIA— HEXANDRIA. Aristolochia. 



Perennial. June. 



Root tuberous, branching, creeping horizontally, with numerous, 

 simple, fleshy, smooth, fibres. Stems solitary, 12 or 18 inches 

 high, solid, striated, downy, bearing 3 or 4 large, alternate, 

 ovate, rather pointed, slightly downy leaves, clasping or sheath- 

 ing at their base ; the uppermost, especially if there be two 

 flowers, diminished to a lanceolate bractea. Ft. terminal, 

 usually solitary, sometimes two, one above the other, large and 

 conspicuous. Calyx-leaves ribbed, ]i inch long, of a singular 

 rich and dark brown ; the 2 lowermost combined. Pet. of the 

 same colour, rather longer and narrower, slightly wavy. Lip 

 tumid, yellow, wrinkled, reticulated with veins, internally spot- 

 ted, about an inch long. Appendage to the column elliptical, 

 with 2 angles, more or less blunt, at the base ; the extremity 

 rounded, with a short inflexed point, which latter is not shown 

 in the figures of Mr. Salisbury or Dr. Hooker. Mr. Sowerby's 

 figure in Engl. Bot. has been unjustly criticised. It was neces- 

 sarily taken from a garden specimen, but will on examination be 

 found precisely comformable to nature, as well as to Haller's 

 excellent plate, the most correct in detail of any that has been 

 given of the present species. The American C. parviflorum is 

 totally different. 



GYNANDRIA HEXANDRIA. 

 422. ARISTOLOCHIA. Binhwort. 



Linn. Gen. 467. Juss.73. Fl.Br.947. Tourn.t.7\. Lam.t.7S3. 

 Gcertn.t. 14. 



Nat. Ord. Sarmentacece. Linn. 1 ] . Subsequently removed 

 by him to the Rhceadece. 27. Aristolochice. Juss. 23. 

 See Grammar 85. 



Cal. superior, of 1 leaf, tubular, coloured, permanent; 

 tumid, and nearly globose, at the base ; limb dilated ; 

 either lobed and equally spreading, or unilateral and 

 undivided. Cor. none. Filam. none, except the notched 

 cup, crowning the germen, within the calyx, may be so 

 denominated. Anth. 6, sessile on the outer surface of 

 this cup, vertical, each of 2 oblong, separated, parallel, 

 bivalve cells. Germ, inferior, oblong, angular. Style 

 scarcely any. Stigma nearly globular, with 6 deep lobes ; 

 the summit concave. Caps, large, oval, with 6 angles, 



