66 ‘tur VEGETABLE SYSTEM. 
co 
6 PALMATED ERYNGO. 
Plate s1. Fig. 1. 
Chara€ter of the Species. 7 ; | Eryngium Tricufpidatum. 
The radical Leaves are heart-fhap’d ; and wav'd along the edges. ‘Thofe 
| on the Stalk are palmated and curl’d. 
Fig, 1. @ b. 
Tuis is a Perennial, native of North America; a tall and handfome Plant, flowering | 
in Auguft. The Stalk is two feet and a half high, firm, tough, upright, and, toward 
_the top, {preads out into a great many Branches. It is of a pale, greyith green, and 
fmooth on the furface, naturally fhining. The Leaves are of a pale, greyith green, with 
~ fome little tinge of yellowith ; the Flowers are nearly white. | 
Tuose who fearch for marks of diftinétion among the more minute and inconfpicuous, 
or at leaft unobvious parts of Plants, may find one in the Head of this Eryngo; by 
which, if they pleafe, they may feparate it from the reft, and make of it a new Genus. - 
The Heads of all the Plants of this kind, have a kind of chaffy Films placed between 
the Flowers. Thofe in the generality are fimple, but in this Species they terminate in 
_ three points. © | | 
Ir is not of any importance to the Plant, or to its generic Character, whether there 
were any of thefe Chaffs or not among the Flowers, as has been obferved in {peaking 
of the Steebe: much lefs need we in that character regard their form. I do not know 
that any has yet feparated this from the Eryngo’s on that occafion; for the Plant is 
little known : T'only name the im propriety of fuch feparations, of which we have in-. 
fances on lefs caufes even than this; and would: have the ftudent keep always in mind, 
that little regard is to be fhewn to little parts; and that, when other things are equal, 
the moft confpicuous marks are always beft. | 
/ 
* FORKED 
