2 



SIEVERSIA MONTANA. 



order Bosacece, consisting of plants which are found to agree in certain important 

 characters with the genus Rosa. The Rosacea constitute a most distinguished 

 natural order, comprising numerous genera, which naturally divide into four prin- 

 cipal groups, each of which may be readily identified by certain peculiarities of 

 structure. 1. Rosea, consisting almost entirely of the true roses, which have 

 always been considered the chief beauties of the garden. 2. Potentillece, or the 

 cinquefoil tribe, consisting of numerous genera, some of which are valuable for 

 their delicious fruit, as Rubus and Fragaria. In this tribe Sieversia takes its place, 

 a genus first named by Willdenow, in honour of M. Sievers, a Russian botanist 

 and traveller. 



The plants of this genus were formerly considered to belong to the genus 

 Geum, which in fact differs chiefly if not entirely in the structure of its awns, 

 which are geniculated, while in Sieversia they are continuous and jointless. The 

 distinction appears sufficient to separate the genera ; indeed its character has 

 been acknowledged and amended by Dr. Brown, and is retained by Dr. Lindley 

 in his Nat. Syst. Bot. Of the other two groups of this order it is unnecesary 

 to speak on the present occasion. 



Bosacece are found chiefly in the temperate or cold climates of the northern 

 hemisphere, but few are met with in the southern hemisphere, or within the 

 tropics ; while at the Cape of Good Hope they are never seen. 



Fig. 1, calyx, showing the insertion of the stamens ; fig. 2, the hairy awn. 



