114 ENGLISH BOTANY. 
pound flower. Perianth 3- or 4-partite, with the segments valvate 
in estivation. Male flowers with 8 to 16 stamens. Female flowers 
with 2 or 3 abortive stamens reduced to filaments, and a 2- rarely 
3-lobed ovary, with as many styles as there are lobes. Capsule 2-lobed, 
splitting into 2 cocca, each coccum 1-seeded, bursting down the 
back so as to form 2 valves; rarely there is the addition of a third 
coccum. 
Herbs or more rarely undershrubs, with the leaves generally oppo 
site, stipulate. Flowers axillary and terminal; the male flowers in 
glomerules, arranged in interrupted spikes or spikelike racemes; the 
female flowers fascicled or solitary, more rarely in spikes or racemes. 
This genus of plants is said to be named after Mercury, who discovered the virtues 
of the species, 
SPECIES I—MERCURIALIS PERENNIS. Linn. 
Prats MCCLXVIII. 
Perennial. Rootstock creeping. Stems simple, herbaceous. Leaves 
shortly stalked or subsessile, ovate or ovate-lanceolate or elliptical or 
oval, the lowest ones minute or rudimentary and distant. Male 
flowers in small glomerules, arranged in interrupted stalked axillary 
spikes. Female flowers in few-flowered axillary stalked racemes, which . 
are often reduced to a single flower. Capsule rather large. didymous, 
slightly roughened, thickly clothed with bristly hairs. Seeds sub- 
globular, slightly shining, reticulated. Leaves green, thinly pube- 
scent. 
Var. a, genuina. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. V. Tab. CLII. Fig. 4804. 
Billot, Fl. Gall. et Germ. Exsice. No 641. 
M. perennis, Reich. Fl. Germ. Excurs. p. 764, and Ic. l.c. p. 10. Koch, Syn. FI. 
Germ. et Helv. ed. ii. p. 731. 
Leaves shortly stalked, ovate or ovate-lanceolate or elliptical. 
Var. 6, ovata. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. V. Tab. CLI. Fig. 4803. 
M. ovata, “ Hoppe and Sternb.” Reich. F1. Germ. Excurs. p. 764, and Ie. Le. p. 9. 
Leaves subsessile or sessile, broadly-oval or ovate-oval. 
In woods, thickets, and on shady hedgebanks. Common, and gene- 
rally distributed, except in Ireland, where it is rare. Var. 6, “ Hurst 
Pierpoint, Sussex” (Mr. W. Mitten). 
England, Scotland, Ireland. Perennial. Spring. 
