92 ENGLISH BOTANY. ' 



slightly tinged with white, and reticulated with dark green, the 

 edges towards the apex serrate, with the serratures ciliate, as in 

 the leaves ; involucel or involucre of the simple umbels or umbel- 

 lules petaloid, white or tinged with dull pink, f to l£ inch across, 

 with very numerous strapshaped-oblauceolate, acuminate and aris- 

 tate leaves, with prominent reticulated veins, which are green 

 towards the apex, where there are often a few bristle-tipped teeth. 

 Flowers \ inch across, white or pale pink, very numerous, on long- 

 stalks. Calyx-segments ^ inch long, abruptly acuminated into an 

 awn-like point; petals with a shallow notch and a long indexed 

 lobe from the notch. Stamens much longer than the petals and 

 sepals, incurved. Styles elongate, recurved. Cremocarp \- inch long, 

 slightly clavate, with the ridges entirely covered with white semi- 

 transparent crimped scales. Plant glabrous, dark green. 



Greater Astrantia. 



French, Aslrance d, Grandes Feuilles. German, Grosse Slrenxe or Aslranze. 



GENUS III.—S A N I C U L A. Linn. 



Calyx-limb of 5 lanceolate teeth. Petals connivent, oblong- 

 obovate, notched, with a long infiexed lobe. Cremocarp roundish- 

 ovoid, covered with bristles which are hooked at the apex, crowned 

 by the lanceolate calyx-teeth ; mericarps without ridges ; vittae 

 numerous. 



Herbs with simple palmately- or pinnately-lobed or cut leaves. 

 Umbels simple, compact, almost reduced to heads, arranged in a 

 very irregular compound umbel. Flowers pinkish-white, perfect 

 ones few, the exterior male without the abortive ovary. 



The origin of the name of this genus is the Latin word saw, I heal or cure, in 

 reference to the supposed virtues of one of the species. 



SPECIES I— SANICULA EUROPHA. 



Elate DLXVIII. 



Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ, et Helv. Vol. XXI. Tab. 1847. 

 Billot, El. (iall. et Germ. Exsicc. No. 25. 



Radical leaves pentagonal, palmately partite; lobes 3 to 5, 

 rhomboidal, often 3-clcft, serrate with the serratures mucronate. 

 Stem-leaves few or none. General umhel very irregular, the rays 

 often hi- or tri-furcate ; the umbellules forming hemispherical heads. 

 Perfect flowers few, sessile; male flowers exterior, shortly pedicel- 

 late. Calyx-teeth lanceolate, aristate. Cremocarp closely covered 

 with ascending bristly spines, hooked inwards at the apex. 



