Centunculus minimus. Bastard Pimpernel. 



CENTUNCULUS Lin. Gen. PL Tetrandria Monogynia. 



Cal. 4 fidus. Cor. 4. fida, patens. Stam. brevia. Caps. 1 locularis 

 circumfcifla. 



Rati Syn. Gen. iS. Herb^e fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo. 



CENTUNCULUS minimus. Linnai Syfi, Fegetab. p. 133. Spec. Plantar, p. 169. Flor. Suec. p. 136. 



CENTUNCULUS, Haller. Hifl. 



CENTUNCULUS, Dil/en. Catal Gifs. p. 161 dtJpp.p. 111. tab. 5. 



ALSINE paluftris minima, flofculis albis, fruclu Coriandri exiguo. Mentz. Pug. Icon. 



ANAGALLIS paluftris. Vmllant. p. 12. t. 4../. 2. 



ANAGALLIDIASTRUM exiguum foliis ianceolatis alternis, llore albo fugaci et vix confpicuo. MU 



<heli nov.gener. p. 14. /. 18. Hudfon. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 63. 



! BBS SSBS ■<*-y~- "7'- 



RADIX annua, Simplex, fibrofa. | ROOT annual, fimple and fibrous. 



CAULIS unguicularis ad pollicarem aut ultra, fimplex | STALK from half an inch to an inch in height or more, 



feu ad bairn ramofus, fubere&us, teres, glaber. ? firnple or branched at bottom, fomewhat up- 



| right, round, and fmooth. 



FOLIA alterna, femlia, ovata, acuta, Integerrima, % LEAVES alternate, feffile, ovate, pointed, entire at 



glabra, fubcarnofa, patentia. | the edge, fmooth, fomewhat flefhy and 



I fpreading. 



FLORES minimi, folitarii, axillares, femles. $ FLOWERS very minute, fingle, in the alas of the 



I leaves, without footftalks. 



CALYX: PeriantHium quadripartitum, patens, per- $ CALYX a Perianthtum divided deeply into four 



fiftens, laciniis ovato-lanceolatis, margine | fegments, fpreading, and permanent ; the 



fufcis, corolla longioribus. Jig. 1. fegments ovato-lanceolate, brown on the 



% edge, and longer than the corolla, fig. 1. 



COROLLA monopetala, purpurafcens, fubrotata ; | COROLLA purplifh, monopetalous, fomewhat wheel- 



Tubus globofus; limbus quadripartitus, $ fhaped ; Tube globular ; Limb divided into 



ereclus, laciniis ovato-acutis ; demum claufis, ¥ four fegments, which are upright, and of a 



et calyptras inftar capfula infidentibus. fig. 2. | pointed oval fhape, finally clofed and fitting 



I like a calyptra on the top of the capfule, 



STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, corolla breviora; | STAMINA: four Filaments fhorter than the co- 

 Anthers minimas, flavae. fig. 3. % rolla ; Anthers very minute and yellow. 



I fig' 3* 



PISTILLUM : Germen fubrotundum, intra tubum | PISTILLUM: Germen roundifh, within the tube 



corollas; Stylus filiformis, longitudine ger- t of the corolla; Style filiform, the length 



minis et corollas, ere&us, perfiftens ; Stig- | of the germen and corolla, upright and per- 



ma fimplex. fig. 4. 3: manent ; Stigma fimple. fig. 4. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula globofa, unilocularis, | SEED-VESSEL: a Capsule of a globular fhape, of 



circumfcifla. fig. 5. | one cavity, dividing horizontally in the 



I middle, fig. 5. 



SEMINA plurima, minima, fubconica. fig. 6. | SEEDS numerous, very fmall and fomewhat conical. 



The Englifh Botanift is here prefented with a plant remarkable for the minutenefs of all its parts, but more 

 efpecially of its bloflbms, which are not expanded fo as to fhew the interior ftrudture of the flower, unlefs the 

 fun mines ftrongly on them, then we difcern its yellow ftamina; Dillenius, who fir ft gave to this plant the 

 name of Centunculus and made a new genus of it, remarks a circumftance deferving notice, which is that the 

 Corolla, which in moft of the rotace* (wheel-fhaped flowers) drops after blofloming, here continues, and covers 

 the top of the capfule. 



From the fmall number of places in which this plant has been defcribed to grow, we have been led to 

 conftder it as a much fcarcer plant than it really is. 



The firft time of my difcovering the Centunculus minimus w 'as this fummer, when herbarizing in company 

 with Mr. Dyer ; I found it on JJhford Common near his country feat, it there grew in tolerable plenty, in moift 

 deprefl'ed fituations, ufually overflown in the winter along with the Littorella lacuftris, paffing from Jfijford to 

 Hounflow Heath, I there found it in fimilar fituations in greater plenty, Spergula nodofa in bloom, Veronica Serpyl- 

 lifolia and Sagina procumbens growing in abundance near it ; this was about the middle of July, when the plant 

 had both flowers and capfules on it, and Auguft the 21ft plants from the fame place removed into my garden 

 and placed in a pot in a fhady fituation, were in great perfection, fo that the Centunculus is not fo fugacious 

 a plant as many. 



It generally grows about the fize figured in the plate, but may, according to circumftances, be found much 

 larger, as well as much fmaller. 



Its round capfules in the alas of the leaves, like fmall Coriander feeds, contribute moft to the difcovering of it» 



