PENTANDRIA— DIGYNIA. Slum. 55 



permanent leaves. Fruit ovate-lanceolate, shining, minutely 

 wrinkled, with 3 narrow distant ribs at each side, and termi- 

 nating in a more strongly ribbed, and deeply furrowed, point, 

 crowned by the long, slender, nearly erect, permanent styles. 

 It appears that some accidental specimens, whose roots were not 

 so deep in t!ie ground as usual, and which might or might not 

 have several general bracleas, have been taken Cor B. Bulbocas- 

 tanurn ; but I could never meet with any such, even where they 

 have been reported to grow. The true B. Bulbocastanum how- 

 ever, figured in Fl. Dan. t. 220. Moris, sect. 9. t. 2.f. I. Gccrin. 

 t. 140. Lob. Ic. 745. f. 1. Ger. Em. 1064./. 2. Lauremb. Jp- 

 par. 148. and which is Mailer's n. 783 ; though its sfem is occa- 

 sionally tapering and wavy at the base, as in a specimen from 

 Gerard in the Linntean herbarium ; is clearly distinguished by 

 its shorter, more abrupt, y;«i7, which is not elongated, nor more 

 furrowed, at the point, and especially by its closely reflexed 

 styles. The general bracleas are constantly present, and nu- 

 merous ; occasionally three-cleft ; the umbels oi 10, 15, or 20 

 rays ; and the whole plant much larger, often having 2 stems. 

 This is Bulbocastanum majus of the Bauhins and other old au- 

 thors. Gouan has well distinguished the two species, though 

 he has strangely perverted their synonyms, and seems to have 

 misled Sprengel. 

 If this should ever be found in Britain, the shorter, more abrupt 

 fruity and reflexed stijles, will infallibly ascertain it. 



147. SIUM. Water-paisnep. 



Linn. Gen. \3S. Juss.222. Fl.Br. 3\2. Tourn.t.\62. Lam.t.l97. 

 Ga:rtn. ^. 23 ? 



Fl. all uniform, and generally perfect. Cal. of 5 small, 

 acute, unequal leaves, often obsolete. Pet. equal, in- 

 versely heart-shaped, or obovate, with more or less of an 

 infiexed point. Filam. thread-shaped, spreading, longer 

 than the corolla. Auth. roundish. Germ, inferior, round- 

 ish-ovate, striated. Styles cylindrical, more or less spread- 

 ing, moderately swelling at the base, shorter than the 

 petals, permanent. Stigmas obtuse. Fruit ovate, or or- 

 bicular, slightly compressed, furrowed, crowned with the 

 permanent styles and withered calyx, without any promi- 

 nent j^or«^ receptacle. Seeds tumid, convex, each with 5 

 generally strong ribs. 



Acrid and dangerous herbs, smooth in every part- mostly 

 aquatic and perennial. Lea-vs oblong, scarcely more 

 than simply pinnate; leajlcts deeply serrated or divided. 

 Umbels lateral or terminal, white, M'itli jiart/al, and for 

 the most part general, hractcas. 



