( 367 .) 
EllYTHfLE'A* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Penta'ndria f, Monogy'nia. 
Natural Order. Gentia'neje, Dr. R. Brown . — Lindl. Syn. 
p. 177. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 215. — Rich, by Macgilliv. 
p. 444. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 526. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Card, and 
Bot. v. iv. p. 173. — Mack. FI. Hibern. p. 185. — Hook. Brit. FI. 
(4th ed.) p. 413. — Gentia'n.e, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 141. — Sm. Gram, 
of Bot. p. 106. — Syringales ; subord. Primulos/E; sect. Gen- 
tianin.e; type, Gentianacea: ; Burn. Oull.ofBot. v. ii. pp.900, 
958, & 1008. — Rota'cea:, Linn. 
Gf.n. Char. Calijx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 1 sepal, in 5 deep, 
upright, pointed, awl-shaped segments, sometimes united below by 
a membranous border, permanent. Corolla (see fig. 2.) of 1 petal, 
salver-shaped; tube nearly cylindrical, slender; limb short, in 5 
deep, egg-shaped or spear-shaped, spreading segments, withering. 
Filaments (see figs. 2 & 3.) 5, thread-shaped, equal, inserted into 
the tube, alternate with the segments of the limb, and shorter. 
Anthers (see fig. 3.) oblong, incumbent, twisting spirally as the 
pollen ripens. Germen (fig. 4.) elliptic-oblong, or nearly strap- 
shaped, compressed. Style (see fig. 4.) terminal, cylindrical, pro- 
minent, on a level with the stamens, straight, and generally upright. 
Stigmas 2, roundish. Capsule (see fig. 5.) elliptic-oblong, nearly 
strap-shaped, acute at each end, compressed, imperfectly 2-celled, 
of 2 valves, with indexed margins (see fig. 6). Seeds (fig. 7.) nu- 
merous, roundish, in 4 rows, placed alternately on the indexed 
margins of the valves. 
The 5-cleft calyx; the inferior, monopetalous, salver-shaped 
corolla ; the finally spiral anthers ; and the imperfectly 2-celled 
capsule ; will distinguish this genus from others in the same class 
and order. 
Four species British. 
ERYTHRiE'A CENTAU'RIUM J. Centaury Gentian. Common 
Centaury. Lesser Centaury. 
Spec. Char. Stem 4-angled, nearly simple. Leaves egg- 
oblong, 3-nerved. Panicle forked, corymbose. Calvx half the 
length of the tube of the corolla ; its segments partly combined by 
a membrane. 
Pers. Syp. Plant, v. i. p. 283. — Sm. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 320. — With. (7th ed. ) v. ii. 
p. 320. — Lindl. Syn. p. 178. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 92. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. 
and Bot. v. iv. p. 204. — Macr. Man. Brit. Bot. p. 157. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 79. — 
Grev. FI. Edin. p. 54. — FI. Devon, pp. 41 & 152. — Johnst. FI. Berw. v. i. p. 61. — 
Winch’s FI. of Northumbl. and Durh. p. 15. — Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 64. — Bab. 
FI. Bath. p. 31. — Lindl. FI. Med. p. 521. — Irv. Lond. FI. p. 140. — Luxf. Ueig. FI. 
Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Ditto, and Corolla. — Fig. 3. A Stamen. — Fig. 4. Ger- 
men, Style, and Stigmas. — Fig. 5. Capsule. — Fig. 6. Transverse section of ditto. — 
Fig. 7. A Seed. — Figs. 1, 3, & 4, a little enlarged. 
• 
* From Erythros, Gr. red flower ; the flowers in most of the species being of 
that colour. -}- See folio 48, note t. 
t So called from the Centaur Chiron, who was said to be thereby cured of a 
wound accidentally inflicted by an arrow of Hercules. 
