EOSACE^. 195 



and southern Em-ope, and across the whole continent of Asia, extending 

 northwards into southern Sweden. In Britain, only on the Breiddiu hills 

 in Montgomeryshire, except where it may have established itself for a time 

 in the neighbourhood of gardens in which it has been cultivated. Fl. May 

 and Ju7ie. 



9. Marsh Foteutil. Potentilla Comarum, Nestl. 

 (Comarum palustre, Eng. Bot. t. 172.) 



A perennial, 1 to I5 feet high, often assuming a bluish-purple colovir, 

 glabrous or more or less hairy in the upper part ; the stems decumbent and 

 rooting at the base. Stipules not distinct from the enlarged base of the 

 leafstalk. Leailets mostly 5, shortly jsinnate at the end of the stalk, oblong, 

 toothed, nearly glabrous above and hoary underneath, or softly hau-y on both 

 sides, and often near 2 inches long. Flowers in a loose, irregular corymb, 

 of a dingy purple ; the inner segments of the calyx broad, with long points, 

 the outer ones narrow and much smaller. Petals shorter than the calyx. 

 Carpels numerous and small, on a somewhat enlarged, rather spongy recep- 

 tacle, on which account this plant is often considered as forming a distinct 

 genus, under the name of Comarum. 



In marshes, peat-bogs, and wet places, in northern and central Europe, 

 Asia, and a portion of North America, penetrating far into the Arctic 

 regions. Widely distributed over Britain, but rare in the south of England. 

 Fl. summer. 



YIII. SIBBAX.DIA. SIBBAIDIA. 



Habit and characters of Potentil, except that the number of stamens and 

 carpels is reduced below 10, generally from 5 to 7. The genus consists but 

 of very few species, small alpine plants, inhabitmg the great moxmtaiu-ranges 

 both of the new and the old world. 



1. Procumbent Sibbaldia. Sibbaldia procumbens, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t. 897.) 



The peremiial stock forms a short, dense, spreading tuft. Leafstalks sel- 

 dom above 6 lines long, with 3 obovate or wedge-shaped leaflets, 3-toothed 

 at the end, green, and more or less hairy on both sides. Flower-stems \ to 

 li inches long, almost leafless, bearing a cyme of small flowers, of which 

 the green calyxes are the most conspicuous, the petals being very small and 

 of a pale yellow, or occasionally wanting. The lobes of the calyx often close 

 over the carpels after flowering, but the latter are not enclosed within the 

 tube as in Alchemil. 



In the mountains of northern and Arctic Europe, Asia, and America, or, 

 at greater elevations, in the higher ranges of central Europe and Asia. Fre- 

 quent in the Scotch Highlands, constituting in some places a considerable 

 portion of the greensward, but unknown in England or Ireland. Fl. summer. 



IX. AIiCHEMII.. ALCHEMILLA. 



Tufted herbs, eitlier annual or with a perennial, almost woody stock, and 

 annual flowering-stems, palmately lobed or divided leaves, and smaU green 



