so 
HYDROCOTYLE nepalrnsfs. 
Nepal PeniiTjwort. 
PENTANDRIA DIGYNIA — Nat, Ord. UMBELLIFER^. 
TniB. II. HydrocotyliN/E. Umbellcv imperfectce. Involucra ohsolela aid 
nulla. Folia cum petiolo conjluenlia suhshnplicia. 
Gen. Char. — Umbellae imperfecta?. Fructus raphe dorsoque angustis, hoc 
tricostatOj lateribus compressis, subrotundij coi-tice plerumque reticulato- 
venoso. Fdia subrotunda. — Spreiig. 
Hydrocotyle nepalensis; foliis orbiculato-reniformibus 7-lobatis ci-enatis, 
floribus (monoicis numerosis subsessilibus dense capitatis, capitulis 
breviter pedunculatis. 
The stems of this plant, which are rather stout in proportion to the size ol' 
the individual, are nearly a foot in length, creeping, somewhat branch- 
ed, and \ covered with short, rusty-coloured hairs. Leaves fasciculated, 
3 or 4 together, very much resembling those of Alchemilla vulgaris, and 
the largest of them 2 inches across, orbiculato-reniform, 7 or rarely 
9-lobed, with as many nerves which throw out lateral branches, the mar- 
gins crenate, hispid, especially upon the nerves, petiolated ; petiole about 
3 inches long, terete, beset with reddish hairs, and having at the base 
3 or 4 acute stipules. 
Heads ofjlowers of two kinds, some almost entirely sessile, and appearing to 
be constantly abortive, with yellow flowers, destitute of perfect germens, 
and having even the anthers often abortive ; and fertile flowers, which are 
elevated upon peduncles about ^ or f of an inch long, hispid with short 
reddish hairs. These I have only seen in an advanced state, when the 
corolla and anthers, if there were any, had fallen away, and the fruit 
was nearly perfected. 
In both, the flowers are numerous, 30 or 40, collected into an exactly sphe- 
rical, extremely compact head. The abortive flowers are almost all ses- 
sile, the fertile ones upon short pedicels. Fruit rotund ato- cordate, com- 
pressed, didymous, with a faint depressed line on each lobe. Seeds pen- 
dulous, brown, slightly punctated. 
Were not the name pre-occupied, I should gladly have ap- 
plied to the present species the appellation of Hydrocotyle aL 
H 
VOL. I. 
