198 THE ROSE FAMILY. 



land and Ireland, but scai'ce in Scotland. The ripe calyx or fruit varies in 

 size and in the prominence of the wrinkles, constituting, in the eyes of 

 southern botanists, several distinct species ; one of these, with the ripe calyx 

 near 2 lines long, and very distinctly pitted and marked with little asperities, 

 is usually inserted in our Floras under the name of P. mwicatum. 



XII. AGRIMONY. AGUIMONIA. 



Herbs, with a perennial stock, erect stems, pinnate leaves with distinct 

 segments or leaflers, and yellow flowers in long, terminal, simple, loose 

 spikes. Calyx 5-toothed. Petals 5. Stamens few. Carpels usually 2, en- 

 closed within the dry, persistent calyx, which is covered, when ripe, with 

 hooked bristles. 



The genus comprises but very few European, north Asiatic, and North 

 American species, easily known by their inflorescence, as well as by their 

 fruit. 



1. Common Alimony. Ag^imonia Eupatoria, Linn. 

 (Eng. Bot. t, 1335. A. odorata, Brit. Fl.) 



Stems 2 or 3 feet high, more or less clothed, as well as the leaves, with 

 soft hairs. Lower leaves often 6 inches long, with from 5 to 9 distinct, 

 ovate, coarsely-toothed leaflets, about an inch long, intermixed with a 

 number of much smaller ones ; the upper leaves gradually smaller, with 

 fewer leaflets. Spike long and leafless, but each flower in the axil of a small 

 3-cleft bract, with two smaller 3-toothed bracteoles on the very short pedi- 

 cel. Tube of the calyx hairy and erect when in flower, turned downwards 

 after flowering, when it becomes thickly covered at the top with hooked, 

 green or reddish bristles, forming a small burr. Petals rather small, ob- 

 long. Stamens short, often not more than 6 or 7, but sometimes twice that 

 number. 



On roadsides, waste places, borders of fields, etc., over nearly the whole 

 of Europe, Russian Asia, and North America, but not an Arctic plant. 

 Frequent in England and Ireland, but becoming scarce beyond the Clyde 

 and Forth, in Scotland. Fl. all shimmer. It varies considerably in the 

 haii-iness of the fohage, in the size of the flowers, and in the form of the ripe 

 calyx, which is more or less contracted at the base, from obconical to cam- 

 panulate ; and from this character two Eiu-opean species have been distin- 

 guished, but the difierences do not appear constant enough to separate them 

 even as marked varieties. 



XIII. ROSE. EOSA. 



Erect, scrambling or climbing shrubs, more or less prickly, with pinnafc 

 leaves, leafy stipules adhering to the leafstalk, and showy flowers, either 

 solitary or in small corymbs at the ends of the branches. Calyx-tub 

 globular or ovoid, contracted towards the top ; the limb divided into 5 seg^ 

 ments, often unequal, and sometimes lobed. Petals 5. Stamens numerous! 

 Carpels several, 1-seeded, hairy, enclosed within the tube of the calyx, whicli 

 becomes succulent when ripe, and sometimes slightly pulpy between thd 

 carpels, the whole forming a rather dry red or black berry. 



