Sherardia arvensis. Field Sherardia. 



SHERARDIA Lin. Gen, PL Tetrandria Monogynia. 



Cor. i-petala, infundibuliformis. Seminal^ tridentata. 



Rail Syn, Gen. 12. Herb^e Stellate. 



SHERARDIA arvenfis foliis omnibus verticillatis, floribus terminalibus. Lin. Svft. Vegetab. p. 125. 

 Spec. Pi. p. [49. Fl. Suec. n. 120. 



SHERARDIA foliis fenis lanceolatis, floribus feffilibus umbellatis. Hatter. Hijl. n. 734. 



SCHERARDIA arvenfis. Scopoli Fl. Cam. n. 143, 



RUBEOLA arvenfis repens caerulea. Bauh. Pin. 334. 



RUBIA minor pratenfis casrulea. Parkins, p. 276. 



RUBEOLA parvo flore cseruleo fe fpargens. /. B. III. 7 r 9. Raii Syn. p. 225. Little field Madder. 

 Hud/on FL Angl.ed. 2. p. 66. Lightfoot FL Scot. p. 114. 



RADIX annua, fibrofifTima, fibrillis rufis. j ROOT annual, extremely fibrous, the fmall fibres red- 



% dim brown. 



CAULES palmares, fpkhamaei et ultra, humifufi, af- 1 STALKS a hand's breadth, half a foot or more in length, 

 peri, tetragoni. t laying on the ground, rough and four-cornered. 



FOLIA fuperiora verticil lata, fena, feu quina, foliolis Ian- | LEAVES : thole on the upper part of the ftalk growing 

 ceolatis, inferiora numero fenfim decrefcunt, % in whirls, five or fix together, the leaves lan- 



et latiora fiunt, infima faepius terna, ovata, | ceolate, the lower leaves gradually decreafing 



femiverticillata, omnibus mucronatis, luperne ^ in number, and becoming broader, the lower- 



fcabris. | moff. generally growing three together, ovate, 



sjr and forming half a whirl, all of them termi- 



I nating in a fhort point, and rough on the up- 



| per fide. 



FLORES umbellati, fefliles, parvi, laete purpurei. % FLOWERS growing in umbels, feffile, fmall, of a 



I bright purple colour. 



PEDUNCULI axillares, folitarii, tetragoni, perafta flo- % FLOWER-STALKS growing from the alse of the 

 refcentia longitudine foliolorum. | leaves, folitary, four-cornered, when the flow- 



si: ering is over the length of the leaves. 



CALYX Inv6lucrum o&ophyllum, foliolis lanceo- 1 CALYX : an Involucrum of eight leaves, which 



latis, carinatis, ciliatis. | are lanceolate, keeled and edged with hairs. 



CALYX Perianthium parvum, 6-dentatum, fu- ¥ CALYX: a fmall Perianthium, having fix teeth, 

 perum, perfiftens, fig. 1. | placed on the top of the germen and perma- 



| nent,/#. 1. 



COROLLA monopetala, infundibuliformis. 'Tubus cy- | COROLLA monopetalous, funnel-ihaped. Tube cylin- 

 lindraceus, longus. Limbus quadripartitus, % drical and long. Limb flat, divided into four 



planus, laciniis acutis, Jig. 2. | (harp fegments, fig. 2. 



STAMINA : Fil amenta quatuor ad apicem tubi po- j STAMINA : four Filaments placed at the top of the 

 iita, demiffo polline reflexa. Anther^e fim- 1 tube, turning back on the fhedding of the pol- 



plices, pallide purpureas, fig. 3. | len. Anthers fimple, pale purple, fig. 3. 



PISTILLUM : Germen didymum, oblongum, infe- % PISTILLUM : Germen double, oblong, beneath the 

 rum, fig. 4. Stylus filiformis, fuperne bifi- 1 calyx, fig. 4. Style filiform, bifid at top. 



dus. Stigmata capitata, fig. 5. y Stigmata forming two fmall heads, fig. 5. 



PERICARPIUM nullum ; fruclus oblongus, coronatus, f SEED-VESSEL none ; the fruit oblong, crowned, fe- 



longitudinaliter in duo femina feparabilis. y parable longitudinally into two feeds. 



SEMINA bina, oblonga, apice tribus acuminibus notata, | SEEDS two together, oblong, furnifhed at top with 

 hinc convexa inde plana, Jig. 6, 7. ^ three points, convex on one fide and flat on 



i the other, fig. 6, 7. 



Tournefort confidered this plant as a fpecies of Aparine. The more accurate Dillenius made a new genus 

 of it, to which he gave the name of his friend and patron, that excellent Englifh Botanift Dr. Sherard. Via 1 . 

 Dill. Nov. PL Gen. p. 96. 



This fmall annual is a native of our corn fields, and common almoft every where, flowering during the greateft 

 part of the fummer. 



There is a neatnefs in its bloflbms almoft fufficient to recommend it as an ornamental plant : to any other ufe it 

 does not appear to havethe lea ft pretentions. 



