140 



PAXTON'S FLOWER GARDEN. 



Potentilla ochre ata. Lindley . A hardy shrub with yellow flowers, belonging- to the 

 Rose worts. Native of the Himalayas. Flowers in September. Introduced to the Botanic 

 Garden, Glasnevin, by Major Madden. (Fig. 93.) 



This very curious and handsome plant bears a near relation to the Shrubby Potentil, so well known in Gardens. It 

 was found in Sirmore by Capt. Gerard ; and we have a wild specimen from Dr. Poyle, from some other part of the 

 Himalayas. It forms a dwarf hairy bush, with weak spreading brown branches. The leaves are between pinnate and 

 digitate, short-stalked, with membranous dilated brown stipules as long as the stalks ; the leaflets vary in number from 

 five to nine, are grey, oblong, rolled back at the edge, and much wrinkled, whitish and hairy on the under side ; the 

 uppermost pair are decurrent at the base, tht others taper to the point of insertion ; some are usually two lobed. The 

 flowers are terminal, nearly sessile in the garden specimen, but conspicuously stalked in those found by Capt. Gerard. 

 There are five bracts external to the calyx, linear-lanceolate, very hairy, with a distinct red scabrous keel : the sepals are 

 of the same length, triangular, yellow inside ; the petals nearly circular, firm and bright yello w. 



When first received from the Botanic Garden, Glasnevin, it was remarked to be so much stouter in all its parts than 

 the Ochreate Potentil, that it was mistaken for some variety of the Bush Potentil (P. arbuscula, Don ; alias P.rigida, 

 Wallich) ; for the wild specimens of the species have very narrow leaves, white with long hairs, and a more slender 

 manner of growth. A more careful examination, however, shows that this is really a mere garden state of the Ochreate. 

 The Bush Potentil is a plant of more vigorous growth, with bright green, not grey foliage ; the leaflets in threes, or at 

 most in fives, and by no means wrinkled on the under side ; its flowers are, moreover, each furnished with ten bracts, either 

 wholly separate, or partially united in pairs, a circumstance by which it is immediately distinguishable fr m »H forms 

 of the Shrubby Potentil (P. fruticom). It is well figured in Wallich's Plantco Asiaticse ; but very ill defined by 

 Lehmann. 



The following short characters will serve to distinguish the truly fruticose Potentils, which form a very peculiar 

 section of that great genus : — 



* Flowers Yellow. 



1. The Shrubby Potentil (P. frit,ticosa,L. ; alias P. floribuncla, Pursh) . Bracts five, narrow, smooth on the keel, longer than 



the sepals. Leaflets five, lineardanceolate. 



2. The Bush Potentil (P. arbuscula, D. Don ; alias P. nepalensis, Id.; alias P. rigida, Wallich). Bracts ten, the length of 



the sepals. 



3. The Ochreate Potentil (P. ochreata, Lindley in Wallich's Catalogue). Bracts five, rough on the keel, the length of 



the sepals. Leaflets oblong, five to nine, much wrinkled beneath. 



* * Flowers White. 



4. The Sales of Potentil (P. Salesovii,Steph.) An erect bush. Leaves hoary beneath, serrated at the edge. 



5. The Glabrous Potentil (P. glabra, Loddiges). A half trailing bush. Leaves smooth, entire at the edge. 



