Potentilla.] XXVI. KOSACE^E. 137 



from the following one, it is by some supposed to be a mere variety, 

 and certainly the procumbent variety of the true Tormentilla appears 

 to be intermediate between the two. 



3. P. Tormentilla, Neck. (fig. 315). Tormentil. — Eootstock thick 

 and woody. Stems erect, or procumbent at the base, several times 

 forked, more or less silky-hairy as well as the leaves. Lower leaves 

 often shortly stalked, and like those of P. reptans, but the upper ones 

 always sessile, consisting of 3, or rarely 5, deeply toothed leaflets. 

 Peduncles in the forks of the stem, or in the axils of the upper leaves, 

 forming a loose, leafy, terminal cyme. Flowers small, bright yellow, 

 and mostly with 4 petals ; the first one, however, of each stem has 

 occasionally 5. 



On heaths, moors, and pastures, in open woods, &c, throughout 

 Europe and Kussian Asia, to the Arctic region. One of the most 

 abundant and most generally diffused British plants. Fl. summer. 

 The P. procumbens, Sibth. (Tormentilla reptans, Linn.), is a more pro- 

 cumbent variety, occasionally creeping at the base, with rather larger 

 flowers, more frequently having 5 petals, and forms some approach to 

 P. reptans ; but the really intermediate forms mentioned above are of 

 very rare occurrence. 



4. P. argentea, Linn.(fig. 316). Hoary P. — Stems decumbent at the 

 base, ascending, and forked above. Lower leaves on long stalks, the 

 upper ones nearly sessile, composed of 5 wedge-shaped or obovate 

 leaflets, with a very few deep teeth or lobes, and remarkable for the 

 close white down which covers their under side as well as the stems. 

 Flowers in a loosely forked, leafy corymb or panicle, rather small, with 

 5 yellow petals. 



In gravelly pastures, and on roadsides, in northern and central 

 Europe, extending all across the Asiatic continent, but neither an 

 Arctic nor generally a Mediterranean plant. In Britain, sparingly 

 distributed over England, and eastern Scotland ; absent from Ireland. 

 Fl. summer. 



5. P. verna, Linn. (fig. 317). Spring P. — Stems generally short and 

 tufted, sometimes procumbent at the base, and ascending above to the 

 height of 6 or 8 inches, or shortly prostrate, but not rooting at the nodes 

 as in P. reptans. Lower leaves on long stalks, with 5 or 7 obovate or 

 oblong, toothed leaflets ; the upper ones shortly stalked or nearly sessile, 

 with 5 or rarely only 3 leaflets, all green on both sides, although some- 

 times greyish by the abundance of silky hairs. Flowers irregularly 

 panicled at the ends of the short, weak stems ; the petals yellow, 

 broad, and longer than the calyx. 



In pastures and waste places, chiefly in hilly and mountain districts, 

 in Europe, and central and Kussian Asia, extending to the Arctic 

 regions, but grows also in the dry, hot regions of southern Europe. 

 Thinly scattered over England, north of Cambridge and Somerset, and 

 Scotland, chiefly in hilly districts, and not recorded from Ireland. Fl. 

 spring and summer. It varies much in size and hairiness, and in the 

 size of the flowers. A luxuriant mountain variety, with larger flowers, 

 of a golden yellow, has been distinguished as a species, under the name 

 of P. alpestris, Hall, f., or P. aurea, Sm. (not Linn.). [The mountain 

 plant further differs from the lowland one in its ascending stem, larger 

 less truncate leaflets, and often spotted flowers. Its earlier names are 



