252 



THE ROSE FAMILY. 



In gravelly pastures, and on roadsides, 

 in northern and central Europe, ex- 

 tending all across the Asiatic continent, 

 but neither an Arctic nor generally a 

 Mediterranean plant. In Britain, spa- 

 ringly distributed over England, Ire- 

 land, and a portion of Scotland. FL 

 summer. 



Fig. 310. 



5. Spring Potentil. Potentilla verna, Linn. (Fig. 311.) 



(Eng. Bot. t. 37.) 



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 the creeping 

 P. Lower leaves on long stalks, with 

 5 or 7 obovate or oblong, toothed leaf- 

 lets ; the upper ones shortly stalked or 

 nearly sessile, with 5 or rarely only 3 

 leaflets, all green on both sides, although 

 sometimes greyish by the abundance of 

 silky hairs. Elowers 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 Russian 

 Asia, extending to the Arctic regions, but grows also in the dry, hot 

 regions of southern Europe. Thinly scattered over England and Scot- 

 land, 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 or P. aurea (Eng. Bot. t. 561). 



Fig. 311. 



