184 



JPBXTANDHIA lUGYNTA 



base; Pegmcnts persistent. Petals with long acute points, inflexed 

 so as to appear obeordate. Fruit subglobose. Carpels without ribs, 

 [with many vittm t DC] densely clothed with hooked prickles. Um- 

 bels few-raved, unequal. Umbellets capitate. Involucre lew-leaved; 

 leaves often divided. Involucels many-leaved, small. 



1. S. xarilaxdica, L? Leaves digitately dissected, the lower ones 

 on long petioles ; segments oblong-lanceolate, incined-serrate, mostly 

 petiolate, the lateral ones deeply divided ; starainate (lowers on longi*)) 

 pedicels. Beck, Hot. />. 141. 



+4lso? 8. canadensis, of Jluthors* 



Martian n Saxicula. J'tt/yo — Black Snake-root. 



Root perennial. Stem about 2 feet high, branched above, grooved, smoMh. 

 Leaves 3-parted to tlie base, with ihe lateral s« ements deeply 2-parted ; segments 

 2 or 3 to 5 inches long, and half an inch to 2 inches wide, varying from lanceolate 

 to oblong, oblanceolate, and cuneate-obovate, sometimes lobed at apex, neatly 

 acute, narrowed to a petiole at base, smooth, deeply iucised-serrate, serratures 

 cuspidate; radical leaves often large, with something of a pedals character, on 

 petioles from 6 inches toa foot or more in length. Umbels with few unequal 

 rays; sometimes onl) a solitary ray, or peduncle, 2 to \ inches long. UmbtiU'ls 

 capitate, one third to half an inch in diameter. Staminate flowers numerous, en 

 pedicels about one fourth of an inch long. Perfect flowers few, sessile, in the 

 centre of the umbellet. Calyx-segments lane e*o vate, — sometimes narruw-Tanceo- 

 late, lunger, and pungently cuspidate. Petals white, (sometimes ye time !) acumi- 

 nate, the apex closely Indexed, appearing smarginate, or obeordate. Fruit cover- 

 ed with hooked bristles, which are tumid or dilated at base. 



Ifab. Woodlands, and thickets: common. Ft. June—July. Fr. Aug. —Sept* 



Obs. I have frequently met with specimens in our low grounds, agreeing very 

 closely with this,— except that the petals are yellow, the eolyx-segmentfl rather 

 shorter and less cuspidate, and'the plant, generally, more of a yellowish green. 

 If only a variety, it is a remarkable one; fur flowers rarely vary between white 

 end yellow. We have, also, what I believe to be the var. canadensis, Turn which 

 Prof. Hooker thinks is not entitled even to that distinction: Hut i find it so constant- 

 ly distinct, that I cannot help considering it a well marked variety, h has much 

 more the habit of 8. em-ajxra, than eur common one. It seldom exceeds a fool! in 

 height; the radical leaves with a somewhat pentagonal outline, much smaller 

 than the preceding, and oi\ comparatively short petioles; the segments mostly ob- 

 liquely ovate, sometimes cuneateat base, sessile, and generally glaucous. The 

 limbellets are smaller than in the common variety ; the sterile flowers are fewer 

 and on shorter pedicels. Prof. De OandoUe gives them, doubtingly, as distinct 

 species,— ihou-h f think the characters are a little blended in his description ; and 

 it seems tome that the names, also, IT* transposed. With whom the mistake lice, I 

 moot say; but Unf satisfied that what we here call s. marilandica. is the 8, 

 Omodensis, DC. and icuntru. So other species are known in the V. State*,— 

 •tfteufh Prof Hooker enumerates three ethers in British America. 



