Epilobiiim tetragonum. Square - Stalk'd Willow - Herb. 



EPILOBIUM Linncei. Gen, PL OctandriA Monogynia, 



Cal. 4-fidus. Petala 4. Caps, oblonga, iftfera. Sem, pappofa. 

 RaiiSyn.Gen. 22. Herbje vasculifer^e flore tetrapetalo anomalje. 



EPILOBIUM tetragonum Foliis lanceolatis denticulatis ; caule tetragono ; ftigmate integerrimo. 

 EPILOBIUM foliis lanceolatis denticulatis ; imis oppofitis, caule tetragono. Lin. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 297. 

 Sp. Plant. 495. 



EPILOBIUM foliis lanceolatis, glabris, dentatis. Haller. hift. p. 426. n. 99 7. 



CHAMiENERION tetragonum. Scopoli. Flor. Carn'wl. p. 271. 454. 



LYSIMACHIA filiquofa glabra media live minor. Gerard, emac. 479. 



LYSIMACHIA filiquofa glabra minor. Bauhin. Pin. 245. Rain Syn. p. 311. 5, Middle fmooth-leaved 



Codded Willow-herb, or Loofeftrife. 



Hudfon FL Angl. ed. 1. p. 141. ed. 2. p. 162, 



Lightfoot. FL Scot. p. 198. 



RADIX perennis, fibrofa, flbris albidis, ftolonibusquo- | ROOT perennial, fibrous, the fibres whitifti, repaired 

 tannis reparata, non vero repens. | yearly by new fhoots, but not creeping. 



CAULIS erectus, fuperne valde ramofus, bipedalis, | STALK upright, at top much branched, about two 

 rigidus, infernepurpurafcens, fubtetragonus, y feet high, ftiff, at bottom purpliih, fmooth, 



l^vis, ? and fomewhat fquare, 



■r 



% 



FOLIA fubdecurrentia, unde caulis angulofus, inferi- % LEAVES fomewhat decurrent, whence the angular 



ora lanceolata, fuperiora lineari-lanceolata, | appearance of the ftalk ; the lower ones lan- 



ferrata, venofa, glabra. | ceolate ; the upper ones narrower, ferrated, 



t veiny, and fmooth. 



FLORES parvi, purpurea ¥ FLOWERS fmall and purple. 



.. * 



CALYX: Perianthium quadripartitum, foliis Ian- y CALYX: a Peri anthium divided into four fegments, 



ceolato-acuminatis, pubefcentibus, carinatis, ? which are narrow and tapering to a point, 



apicibus rufis, jig, 1. | downy, the midrib projecting on the under 



% fide, the tips reddifh, jig. 1. 

 % 

 • t 



COROLLA: PeTala quatuor, purpurea, venis fa- y COROLLA: four Petals, purple, often ftreaked 



turatioribus faepe ftriata, calyce paulo longio- ? with veins of a deeper colour, fomewhat longer 



ra, emarginata, jig. 2. | than the calyx, with a notch at top, jig, 2. 



% 



STAMINA: Filamenta o£to, quorum quatuor bre- | STAMINA: eight Filaments, four long and four 



viora: Anthers flavefcentes, fig. 3. % fhort : Anthers yellowifh, fig. 3. 



PISTILLUM: Germen tetragonum, pubefcens : Sty- f PISTILLUM: Germ en fquare, downy: Style fhort 

 lus brevis, albus : Stigma craffum, album, y and white : Stigma thick, white, and per- 



integerrhnum, fig. 4. | ftftly entire, fig. 4. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula longiflima, fere triunci- ¥ SEED-VESSEL a very long Capsule, approaching 

 alis, pedunculis triplo brevioribus infidens. I to three inches, fitting on a flower-ftalk thrice 



$ as fhort. 



SEMINA plurima, pappofa. $ SEEDS numerous and downy. 



THE prefent fpecies of Epilobium, takes its name of tetragonum from the apparent fquarenefs of its ftalk, which 

 however is not fo completely fquare as that of the Hypericum quadrangulum, but affumes rather an angular appear- 

 ance, arifing as in many other plants, from projecting lines running from the leaves down the ftalk : this however 

 is one of the moil ftriking characters of this fpecies : to which may be added the narrownefs of its leaves, the un- 

 common length of its pods, and its undivided ftigma.* Thefe are the peculiarities by which this plant may rea- 

 dily be diftinguifhed : but too much itrefs muft not be laid on fome of them. 



The breadth of a leaf, its being placed on a peduncle, or fitting clofe to the ftalk, are in general confidered as 

 excellent fpecific characters; but in this plant, as well as fome others, we have a proof of their fallibility; the 

 leaves being fometimes nearly as broad as thofe of the montanum, and placed on foot-italks of a confiderable length. 

 When I firft accidently met with this variety, I was led to conclude it to be a dift-inct fpecies ; but a careful at- 

 tention to it, afterwards convinced me it was only a variety. 



The Epilobium tetragonum is no uncommon plant with us ; but is generally to be met with in watery ditches, 

 by the fides of roads ; and where it does occur, it ufually abounds. Among a variety of other places, I have 

 obferved it in the Lane leading from Newington to Hornjey Wood. 



It flowers with the' other Willow-herbs. 



The farmer has no reafon. to complain of it : nor is it celebrated in the annals of phyfic. 



*Ttis chara&er feems firft to have been noticed by Ray : his words are Stylus non ut in precedent? quadrifidus eft, Hift. PI. p. 86 !« 



