FUMARIA CAPREOLATA.  RAMPING FuMITORY. 
FUMARIA. Lina. Gen. Pj, DiapELbHIA HEXANDRIA. 
Cal. diphyllus. Cer. ringens. 7/amenta 2-membranacea, fingula 
Antheris 3. 
Ran Syn, Gen. HERBA FLÓRE PERFECTO SIMPLICI, SEMINIBUS NUDIS SOLITARII$ 
SEU AD SINGULOS FLORES SINGULIS. 
FUMARIA. capreolata pericarpiis monofpermis racemofis, foliis fcandentibus fubcirrhofis. Linn, Syf. 
Vegetab. ed. 14. Murr. p. 637. Sp. PL. ed. 3. p. 985. .Ligbtf. Scot. v. 1. p. 380. 
FUMARIA officinalis var. Hudf. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 309. 
FUMARIA viticulis et capreolis plantis vicinis adherens. Bau. Pin. p. 149. 
FUMARIA major fcandens flore pallidiore. Raz’ Syn, ed. 3. p. 204. The greater ramping Fumitory. 
 FUMARIA Hore albo. White flowred Fumitorie. Ger. Heré. p 927. f. 2. deferibed with tendrils, 
but not figured with any. 

In the wonderful economy of nature, it is found requifite for the well-being of certain plants, that they 
fhould grow to a confiderable height above the furface of the earth ; by far the greater part acquire this height 
by the flrength and firmnefs of their ftems, which are capable of refifting the fury of the elements? ; others, Iefs 
robuft, acquire the neceffary height, for the moft part, in two ways; either the ftem inftn&ively turns round 
the neighbouring plants, as in the Hop and Bindweed, or they throw out tendrils, which have the faculty of 
curling round whatever objects they come in conta& with, as in the Vine, Cucumber, and many of the leguminous 
plants :—in the prefent inftance, there 1s'a deviation from both thefe modes, the flalk does not turn as in the 
Hop, nor does it throw out tendrils as in the Vine; but the leaves themfelves perform the office of tendrils, 
that is, they curl round whatever objeéts they touch. | 
Though the prefent plant, in the colour and form of its leaves and flowers, bears a confiderable refemblance 
to the common Fumitory, yet its greater difpofition to climb did not efcape the obfervation of the older 
Botanifts, who regarded it as a fpecies on that account:—by what particular means it acquired its fuperior 
power of afcenfion, or in what other refpeéts it differed from the common Fumitory, they did not inquire into 
as they ought, or they would not have fpoken of its diftin@ w/zeu/ and capreof; it may be doubted: even 
whether Linn &us's term of /udcirrhofis, together with his defcription of the leaves in his Spec. Plant. ( foliola 
extrema in cirrhos tranfeunt) may not tend to miflead the ftudent ; for though the leaves, or rather their foot- 
ftalks, perform the office of tendrils, their form (as far as we have obferved) undergoes no alteration. 
Some modern writers have expreffed their doubts, as to this plant's being a fpecies ; if it differed only in the. 
particular oeconomy of its leaves, we fhould doubt it alfo; for we have obferved the common Fumitory, when 
growing luxuriantly, fhew a fimilar tendency in its leaves to lay hold of contiguous objects; and many, we 
believe, have taken the plant in this luxuriant ftate, and with this tendency, for the capreo/zt2 ; no wonder they 
Íhould perceive no. difference, ] 
We have long been convinced that the two plants are perfectly diftinét; the true capreo/ata is much lefs 
common, ‘and a more local plant than the offezna/is ; its foliage has little of the glaucous appearance in it, but 
inclines more to yellowifh-green, and, taking two plants of the fame age and of the fame degree of luxuriance, 
it is much broader and has a much greater tendency to perform 'the office of tendrils, and, in confequence of 
this greater difpofition to climb, the plant will afcend to a much greater height than the offczmaks, and will 
frequently furmount a.low hedge; the difference in the flowers is equally if not more obvious, and this difference 
is, perhaps, in no refpeét more ftriking, than in the number of the flowers which form the {pike; in the 
capreolata they are much fewer than in the offcinalis, being ufually from fix to twelve, while in the officinalis 
they are generally twice as numerous; the colour of the flowers exhibits a difference which ftrikes the eye, 
perhaps, as foon as any other; in the officials, the main body of ; the flower is bright red, in the capreo/ata it 
is flefh colour; hence the deep red at the extremity of the flowers in the capreo/ata forms a greater contraft in : 
this fpecies than in the other :—to thefe diftinCtions, we may add the fuperior fize of the flowers of the capreo/ata, 
which are at leaft one third larger; the mouth of the flower in the officinalis (taking two flowers of the fame 
age) is more open, that is the tip of the carina adheres more clofely to the other parts; in the capreo/ata, this 
is a good character and conftant ; in the officinalis, the peduncle is inferted more into the middle of the flower; 
the calyx in the capreo/ata is proportionably broader, and its upper edge rifes higher on the flower, wid. jig. 
1, 2, where a flower of each 1s reprefented, that they may be compared together. 
We have already obferved, that this fpecies is more local than the offcrnalis ; it is certainly much more rare 
in the neighbourhood of London: we remember to have feen it fparingly near Edmonton, and in a few other 
places ; more plentifully about Barnftaple, in Devonfhire, and elfewhere. : 
It flowers from June to September, and produces plenty of feed, which comes up fpontaneoufly, and in 
fuch abundance as to make it a kind of weed, 
* « To loftier forms are rougher tafks affign'd, 
* The fheltering oak refifts the flormy wind." 
. BARBAULD. 
