304 1COSANDRIA POLYGYNIA 



and bracts nearly equal, resembling a 10-cleft calyx. Petals bright yellow, roundiili- 

 obovate, often slightly emarginate, longer than the calyx. 



Hab* Sterile old fields, and pastures : frequent. Fl. April—May. Fr. June— July. 



Obs. The first flowers often appear on this, when the stems are very short ; but 

 others subsequently appear on the extended branches, or runners,— as remarked 

 by Dr. Bigelow. It is a plant which affects sterile neglected pastures ; and its 

 abundance is a pretty sure indication of a poor thriftless farmer. 



3. P. simplex, Jlfx. Pilose ; stem somewhat erect, nearly simple, sar- 

 mentose and nodding at summit ; leaves quinate ; leaflets subscssife, 

 elliptic-oblong, rather acute, cuneate at base, sharply and coarsely ser- 

 rate, pilose beneath. Beck, Bot.p. 106. 



P. caroliniana. Pera. Syn. 2. /;. 65. Also, Muhl Catnl. p. 51. 



Jllso? P. sarmentosa. Muhl. /, c. Lindl. Ency. p. 454. Not of Bigcl. 

 nor Eat. 



Simple Potentilla. Vulgd — Five-finger. 



Root perennial, thick, with strong fibres. Stem 9 to 15 inches high, often 2 or 3 

 from the same root, nearly erect, leafless below, pilose and roughish, often parpUaU, 

 finally elongated by an oblique sarmentosc branch, or runner, at the summit, 

 which often extends to 2 feet or more in length, and becomes procumbent. Radical 

 leaves on nearly erect petioles 3 to f> or ft inches long ; leaflets 1 to 2 inches long, 

 £:;.! half an inch to an inch wide, oblong, tapering at each end ; stem It ares usually 

 larger,— an opposite pair at summit, one petiolate the other sessile, and a single 

 pctiolate one some distance below,— all quinate, and more or less pilose ; those on 

 the runner more viliosc, and often tcrnato near the extremity ; stipules large, 

 oblong-lanceolate, incised, or often nearly entire. Peduncles axillary, solitary, 

 filiform, about as long as the leaves. Calyx-ssgments lanceolate, shorter than the 

 lance-oblong bracts at the clefts. Petals yellow, obovate, emarginate, sometimes 

 nearly obcordate, often longer but not unfrequently shorter than the calyx,— or, 

 at least, than the bracts. Carpels subreniform, rough and somewhat verrucose. 



llab. Borders of woods ; woodland clearings, &c. frequent. Fl. May, June. /V.July. 

 Obs. This is undoubtedly nearly related to some states of the preceding, and has 

 been suspected to be only a variety; but there is usually no difficulty in distin- 

 guishing them, at a glance, when viewed in their native localities. Twelve or fif. 

 teen additional species occur in the U. Slates; and Prof. Hooker enumerates 34 

 species in British America. 



b* Fruit succulent, orjles/iy. 



240. FRAGARIA. L. J\utt. Gen. 451. 

 [Latin,/ra°ra?is, odorous; in reference to its fragrant fruit] 



Calyx concave; limb 5-cIefl, with an external tract at each cleft (ap- 

 pearing 10-cleft). Petals 5. Carpels numerous, naked, dry, smooth, 

 scattered and imbedded on a latgr *ulpy deciduous receptacle. Styles 

 lateral. 



Herbaceous: producing runners, or creeping stems; leaves trifoliate; stipules 

 adnate to the petiole ; flowers mostly in terminal cymose corymbs. Xat. Ord. 73. 

 IAndl. Rosaceje. 



1. F. virginiana, L. Leaflets broad-oval, or cuneate-obovate, cori- 

 aceous, not plicate, smoothish above ; hairs of the pedicels appresscd ; 

 calyx of the fruit spreading. Beck, Bot.p. 105. 



