ICOSANDRIA POLYGYNIA 205 



Also? F. canadensis. Mx. Am. 1. p. 299. Pursh, Am. I. p. 357. 

 jYutt. Gen. 1. p. 311. Ell. Sk. I. p. 575. i)C. Prodr. 2. />, 571. 

 Jftofc. Am. l.p 185. Z*W/. JE&*y. p. 452. jBec/r, /. c. Eat. Man. 

 p. 148. 

 Virginian Fuagaria. Vulffd—WM Strawberry. 



Root perennial, thick, with numerous fibres. Stem very short, or none, but 

 runners are often thrown out from the crown of the root, which extend several 

 inches. Leaves mostly radical, on villose petioles 2 to 4 or 6 inches long, with 

 lance-oblong obliquely acuminate stipules at base ; hairs on the petioles spreading 

 horizontally ; leaflets 1 to 2 inches long, and 3 fourths of an inch to an inch and 

 half wide, coarsely serrate, silky-pilose when young, particularly on the nerves 

 beneath, finally smoothish, on short petioles. Flowers corymbose, on a radical or 

 scape-like peduncle scarcely as tall as the leaves ; pedicels bracteate at base ; 

 bracts oblong, acuminate, or with 2 or 3 mucronate teeth at apex. Peduncle and 

 pedicels clothed with erect or appressed hairs. Calyx hairy ; segments lanceolate, 

 acuminate, spreading,— the intermediate 6rac/s. lance-linear, nearly equal with the 

 segments. Petals white, about as long as the calyx-segments. Fruit ovoid, nod- 

 ding, consisting of the pulpy deciduous berry-like receptacle, with the minute 

 smooth carpels imbedded on the pitted surface, bright purple when mature, mostly 

 very fragrant, and pleasant to the taste, sometimes rather acid. 



Hub. Neglected old fields ; fence-rows, &c. frequent. Fl* April. Fr. May— June. 



Obs. Every one has sufficient Botany, and good taste, to know this plant, and to 

 admire its delicious fruiu It is not very easy, however, to give good distinguish- 

 ing characters to all the cultivated sorts. Prof. Hooker seems to think the F. elatior, 

 or Hautboy Strawberry, may be a variety of this. The F. vesca (English, or Gar- 

 den Strawberry), producing both red and white fruit, is chiefly distinguished \>y it* 

 numerous runners, the peduncles being taller than the leaves, the leaflets some- 

 what plicate, and the calyx of the fruit rcflexed. The F. chilensis (Chili Slruw- 

 berry), which is sometimes found in our gardens, is a stouter plant, with firm co- 

 riaceous rugose leaflets, the peduncles and pedicels clothed with a spreading or 

 rsflexod villose pubescence, and the calyx embracing the large fruit. Some of the 

 species are apt to be dioicous, or polygamous, by abortion,— especially under culti- 

 vation. It is doubtful, I think, whether we have more than one native species in 

 the U. States,— though Prof. Hooker has admitted 4 in his Flora of British America 



241. RUBUS. L. Jfutt. Gen. 445. 

 [Latin, Ruber,— or Celtic, Rub,-red ; from the color of the fruit, or branches. J 



Calyx flattish at base; limb 5-parted, without bracts at the clefts* 

 Petals 5. Carpels numerous, capitate on a protuberant spongy re- 

 ceptacle, becoming succulent cohering drupels, and forming a com- 

 pound berry. Styles sub-lateral, persistent 



Suffruticose, or rarely herbaceous : root perennial ; stems mostly biennial, acu- 

 leate; leaves petiolate, pinnate, digitate, or simple; flowers terminal, subcorym- 

 bose, racemos.Jy paniculate, or solitary. Kat. Ord. 73. Lindl. Rosacbjr. 



Leaves pinnate, or ternate,—hoar\j-tomentose beneath. 



1. R. Inxus, L. Stem nearly erect, strigosely hispid, or 'smoothish 

 and armed with slender recurved prickles ; haves quinate-pinnate 

 andternate; flowers in paniculate corymbs ; petals entire • carfuls 

 tomentoze. Beck ? Bot. p. 102. 



2G* 



