AEISTOLOCHIACE^. 455 



riaDt, rather broader, and above an inch long. Flowers small, in a terminal 

 raceme, leafy, and sometimes branching at the base ; each flower on a dis- 

 tinct peduncle, with 3 linear bracts close imder it. Perianth cleft almost 

 down to the ovary ; the tube of a greenish-yellow colour ; the segments 

 white, waved or almost toothed on the edges, and rolled inwards after 

 flowering. Nut small, ovoid, marked with several longitudinal veins or 

 ribs. 



In meadows and pastures, attaching itself to the roots of a great variety 

 of plants, generally dispersed over temperate Europe and Russian Asia, but 

 not extending into Scandinavia. In Britain, only in the chalky pastures of 

 the southern counties of England. Fl. all summer. 



LXVI. ARISTOLOCHIA FAMILY. AEISTOLOCHIACKE. 



Herbs, or, in exotic species, tall climbers, with alternate 

 leaves, and often leafy stipules ; the flowers brown or greenish. 

 Perianth combined with the ovary at the base, either 3-lobed 

 or very irregular. Stamens usually 6 or 12, inserted on the 

 perianth. Ovary and fruit inferior, 3- or 6-celled, with several 

 seeds in each cell. Albumen fleshy, with a minute embryo. 



A small family, widely spread over the globe, chiefly in the warmer dis- 

 tricts. The principal genus, Aristolocliia, remarkable for the tubular peri- 

 anth, often curved, terminating in an oblique, entire Umb, is not British ; 

 but the tail, climbing A. sipho, and some other species, are often cultivated 

 in our gardens ; and the A. clematitis (Eng. Bot. t. 398), from southern 

 Europe, has been occasionally found in stony, rubbishy places in some parts 

 of England, where it has strayed from gardens. It is an erect perennial, of 

 about 1| feet, vrith broadly cordate leaves, and slender, yeUowish-green 

 flowers clustered in their axils. 



I. ASARUni. ASAEUM. 



Perianth campanulate, regular, 3-cleft. Stamens 12. 

 A genus of very few species, dispersed over Europe, temperate Asia, and 

 North America. 



1. Common Asarnm. Asarum europseum, Linn. 



(Eng. Bot. 1. 1083. Asarabacca.) 



A low perennial, with a shortly creeping rootstock, and very short, incon- 

 spicuous stems. Leaves usually 2 only, almost radical, on long stalks, orbi- 

 cular-cordate or kidney-shaped, 1 to 2 or even 3 inches broad. Between 

 them is a single greenish-brown flower, about half an inch long, on a short, 

 recurved stalk ; the perianth divided to the middle into 3 broad, pointed 

 lobes. 



In woods and shady places, in central and southern Europe and temper- 

 ate Russian Asia, extending northwards into southern Scandinavia. Rare 

 in Britain, but believed to be a true native in a few localities ia the north of 

 England and in Wiltshire. Fl. May. 



