( 32 .) 
HE'D ERA* *. 
Linnean Clasp and Order. Penta'ndria, Monooy'nia. 
Natural Order. Caprifolia'ce^e. Juss. — Lind. Syn. p. 131. 
Caprifolia'ceas, Sect. Hedera'ceas, Lindl. — Introd. to the Nat. 
Syst. of Bot. p. 206. — Rich, by Macgillv. p. 460. 
Gen. Char. Calyx very small, of five teeth, surrounding the 
germen. Petals five, oblong, spreading, broadest at the base, bent 
inwards at the points. Filaments five, awl-shaped, upright, as long 
as the petals. Anthers cloven at the base, fixed sideways (incum- 
bent). Germen turban-shaped (turbinate), surrounded by the ring- 
like (annular) receptacle of the flower. Style very short, furrowed. 
Stigma simple. Berry globular, succulent, of five cells. Seeds 
from 3 to 5, large, oblong, gibbous on one side, angular on the 
other. — Distinguished by the superior corolla of 5 petals, which are 
broadest at the base. The calyx surrounding the germen, simple 
style ; and succulent 5 celled, 3 to 5 seeded berry. 
Climbing evergreen shrubs, with scattered, smooth, stalked, sim- 
ple leaves; and terminal bracteated umbels, or heads, of pale or 
greenish flowers. 
One species British. 
HE'DERA HE'LIX. Common Ivy. 
Spec. Char. Leaves, some egg-shaped, some lobed. 
Eng. Bot. t. 1267. — Curt. FI. Lond. t. 16. — Sra. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 267. — Eng. 
FI. v. i. p. 334. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 337. — Lind. Syn. p. 133. — Hook. Br. 
FI. p. 109.— Siblh. FI. Oxon p. 85.— Abbot’s FI Bedf. p. 53.— Belli. FI. Cant. 
(3rd ed.) p. 101. — Purt. Mid. FI. v. i. p. 132. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 82. — Grev. FI. 
Edin.p. 56. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 67. — Hedera communis major et minor, 
Ray’s Syn. p.459‘ — Hedera corymbosa and H. Helix, Johnson's Gerarde, 
858. 
Localities.— Woods, hedges, trunks of trees, old buildings. 
An evergreen Shrub. — Flowers from September to December. 
Stem very long, branched, trailing on the ground, or climbing up 
walls, rocks, trees, &c. adhering to them by means of dense tufted 
fibres. As long as it trails upon the ground, or is fixed to any sup- 
port, the stems are slender and flexible ; but when it has reached to 
the top of its support, they shorten and become woody, forming 
themselves into large bushy heads, and in this state producing flowers 
and fruit. Leaves alternate, oh long slender leaf-stalks, shining, 
dark green, smooth, often veined with whitish lines ; those on the 
trailing or climbing branches 3 or 5 lobed ; those on the flower- 
ing ones undivided, and egg-shaped, sometimes diamond-shaped 
(rhomboid). Every part of the plant, except the old stems, frequently 
furnished, more or less, with a starry (stellate) pubescence. Flowers 
yellowish, or greenish white, produced in close roundish umbels, at 
the extremity of the branches. Calyx teeth very small. Petals 
Fig. 1. CorollarStamens, and Style. — Fig. 2. Germen and Style. — Fig. 3. A 
Berry. — Fig. 4. A Berry cut transversely, showing the five cells and five seeds. 
—Fig. 5. A Seed. 
• Name, of uncertain origin. 
