(438.) 
POTE'RIUM* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. MoNCE'ciAf, Polya'ndria %. 
Natural Order. Rosa'ce/e § ; sect. Sanguisorbe.e ; Juss. Gen. 
PI. pp. 334 & 336. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. pp. 171 & 172. — Lindl. 
Syn. pp. 88 & 102. — Rich, by Macgilliv. pp. 528 & 530 — Loud. 
Hort. Brit. p. 512. — Mack. FI. Hibern. pp. 85 & 105. — Sangui- 
sorbea:, Lindl. Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 80. — Don’s Gen. 
Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. ii. p. 589. — Rosales ; sect. Rosinjg ; 
subsect. Rosianje ; type, S nguisorbace.e ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. 
pp. 614, 683, 699, & 7 07. — Senticosas, Linn. 
Gen. Char — Flowers in a head, monoecious or polygamous. 
Sterile Flowers (see fig. 4). Calyx (fig. 3.) of 3 egg-shaped, co- 
loured, spreading, deciduous sepals. Corolla (fig. 4.) of 1 petal, 
tubular, in 4 deep, egg-shaped, concave, spreading segment, per- 
manent. Filaments (see fig. 4. & a.) numerous, 30 to 50, hair-like, 
flaccid, much longer than the corolla. Anthers roundish, 2-lobed. 
Fertile Flowers (see fig. 2. & b.) above the others. Calyx as in 
them. Corolla (fig. 2.) of 1 petal, wheel-shaped ; tube short, 
roundish, closed at the mouth ; limb in 4 deep, egg-shaped, flat, 
reflexed segments, permanent. Germens 2, egg-oblong, included 
in the tube of the corolla. Styles (see fig. 2.) 2, hair-like, coloured, 
much longer than the limb of the corolla. Stigmas (see fig. 2.) 
tufted, coloured. Pericarps (fig. 5.) 2, 1-seeded, invested with the 
hardened, 4-angled tube of the corolla. Seed inverted. 
The 3-leaved calyx ; the monopetalous corolla , with a deeply 
4-cleft limb ; the sterile flower, with from 30 to 50 stamens ; and 
the fertile one with 2 pistils, and 2 1-seeded pericarps invested with 
the hardened 4-angled tube of the calyx ; will distinguish this from 
other genera in the same class and order. 
One species British. 
POTE'RIUM SANGUISO'RBA. Common Salad-Burnet. Gar- 
den-Burnet. 
Spec. Char. Spines none. Stem somewhat angular. 
Engl. Bot. t. 860. — Curt. FI. Loud. t. . — Mart. FI. Rust. t. 69. — Linn. Sp. PI. 
p. 1411. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 421. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. iv. pt. i. p. 421. — 
Sm. FI. Brit. v. iii. p. 1025. ; Engl. FI. v. iv. p. 147. — With. (7th ed. ) v. iii. p. 663. — 
Lind). Syn. p. 103. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 407. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. 
v. ii. p. 595. — Loud. Encycl. of Gard. (new ed.) p. 866. parag. 4480. — Macr. Man, 
of Brit. Bot. p. 70. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. p. 168. — Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 209. — Dicks. 
Pract. Agr. v. ii. p. 837. — Davies’ Welsh Bot. p. 90. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. ii. p. 463. — 
Relli. FI. Cant. (3rd edit.) p. 394. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 273. — FI. Devon, p. 154. — 
Johns. FI. of Berw. v. i. p. 206. — Winch’s FI. of Northumb. and Durh. p. 61. — 
Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 281. — Bab. FI. Bath. p. 16. — Prim. FI. Sam. p. 34. — Irv. 
Lond. FI. p. 194. — Luxf. Reig. FI. p. 81. — Cow. FI. Guide, p. 42. — Baines’ FI. of 
Yorksh. p. 40. — Leight. FI. of Shropsh. p. 473. — Mack. Catal. PI. of Irel. p. 82.; 
Fl. Hibern. p. 106. — Poterium minus, Ray’s Syn. p. 203. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. 
p. 575. — Pimpinella hortensis, Johnson’s Gerarde p. 1045. 
a. A Head of Sterile Flowers ; b. A Head of Fertile ones. — Figs. 1 & 3. Calyx. — 
Fig. 2. Asiugle Fertile Flower. — Fig. 4. A single Sterile Flower. — Fig. 5. The two 
Pericarps invested with the hardened permanent Calyx. — Fig. 6. A separate Pericarp. 
* Some say that this is the real toper’s plant, and that hence its name Poterium, 
from the custom of infusing it in various liquors. Burnett. 
t See folio 93, note t. f See folio 53, note t. § See folio 313, a. 
