86 ENGLISH BOTANY. 



Stamens 5, alternate with the petals ; anthers 2-celled, dehiscing 

 longitudinally. Ovary 1-celled, with 4 (rarely 3) parietal placentae, 

 and with 4 sessile stigmas opposite the placentae. Ovules very 

 numerous, opposite the placentae. Capsule 1-celled, 4-valved, 

 locuiicidal. Seeds numerous, with a loose reticulated membra- 

 nous testa produced so as to form a wing, ex-albuminous. 



Perennial herbs, growing in bogs, with the leaves mostly radical, 

 stalked, ovate-roundish or renii'orm. Stem with a single leaf, or 

 none, terminating in a solitary large white erect flower. 



An anomalous genus, which is usually placed with Drosera, with 

 which it appears to have no very close relation. Don, Batsch, 

 Lindley, and Roper placed it in Hypericaceae, regarding the nec- 

 tariferous scales as the equivalents of the bundles of stamens in 

 that order ; but the leaves are not opposite or dotted. Bartling 

 placed it in Tamariscaceae ; Reichenbach considered it near Genti- 

 anacese ; Agardh thought it allied to Podastemon and Lentibularia. 



This genus of plants is supposed to be possessed of so much grace and beauty, it 

 originally grew around the abode of the Muses : hence its name, from the hill of 

 Parnassus. 



SPECIES I.— PARN A SSI A PALUSTRIS. Linn. 



Plate DLXV. 



Radical leaves numerous, on long stalks, roundish-ovate, cordate; 



stem-leaf 1, similar to the radical leaves, sessile, amplexicaul, or 



absent. Flowers solitary, terminal. Nectariferous scales fringed 



with 9 to 13 slender gland-tipped filaments. 



In bogs. Rather frequent and generally distributed. Common 

 in Scotland and the North of England, extending to Orkney. 

 England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Autumn. 

 Radical leaves numerous, on stalks 2 to 4 inches long ; lamina 

 f to H inch lon §' entire, more or less deeply cordate at the base. 

 Stems solitary or numerous, rather wiry, angular, twisted, 3 to 1 L 

 inches high, usually with a single amplexicaul leal' below the middle. 

 Plowers erect, f to l£ inch in diameter, white, with strongly-marked 

 veins. Sepals ovate-lanceolate. Petals roundish-ovate, slightly con- 

 cave, spreading. Scales £ as long as the petals, the upper portion 

 consisting of numerous slender filaments tipped with a yellowish 

 globular gland. Stamens with very short and broad filaments. 

 Pistil globular, with 4 stigmas. Capsule globular, a lit t Le attenuated 

 towards the top, f to I inch long. Plant glabrous, rather pale-green. 

 Grass of Parnassus. 



French, Parnaaak des Maruis. German, tkmtflf ' HvrMaU. 



