( 245 .) 
MENYA'NTHES* *. 
Linnean Class and Order. Penta^ndria f, Monogy'nia. 
Natural Order. Gentia'nea:, Dr. R. Brown. — Lindl. Syn. 
p. 177 ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. ofBot. p.215. — Rich, by Macgilliv. 
p. 444. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 526. — Lysimaciiiav, affinia, Juss. 
Gen. PI. pp. 95 & 97. — Syringales ; subord. Primulos.e ; sect. 
Gentianin.-e ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 900, 95§, & 1008. — Pre- 
cise, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 2.) inferior, permanent, of 1 sepal, in 
5 deep, slightly spreading segments. Corolla (see fig. 1.) of 1 pe- 
tal, funnel-shaped; tube short, somewhat dilated upward; limb 
spreading, in 5, more or less pointed, segments, bearded internally, 
with a simple margin. Filaments (see fig. 1.) 5, awl-shaped, short, 
attached to the tube, alternate with the segments of the limb. 
Anthers cloven at the base, upright. Germen (sec fig. 3.) conical. 
Style (see fig. 3.) 1, cylindrical. Stigma capitate, with from 2 to 
5 furrows. Capsule (figs. 4 & 5.) egg-shaped, 1 -celled, 2-valved ; 
the valves bearing the seed in their axis (see f. 5.) — Leaves ternate. 
The 5-parted calyx ; the monopetalous, funnel-shaped corolla, 
.in 5 deep segments, hairy within, with a simple margin; the 
2-lobed stigma ; and the capsule of 1 cell, and 2 valves, bearing 
the seeds in their axis ; will distinguish this from other genera in 
the same class and order. 
One species British. 
MENYA'NTHES TRIFOLIA'TA. Common Buck-bean, or 
Bog-bean. Marsh Trefoil. 
Spec. Char. Leaves ternate. Disk of the Corolla densely 
shaggy. 
Engl. Bot. t. 495. — Curt. FI. Lond. t. 240. — Woodv. Mod. Bot. v. i. p. 5. t. 2. — 
Curt. Brit. Entomol. v. vii. t. 294 ! — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 20S. — Willd. Sp. PI. v. i; 
pt. ii. p. 811. — Iluds. FI. Angl. (2nded.) p. 85. — Linn. FI. Lapponica, (2nd edit.) 
p. 52. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 225. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 274.- — With. (7th cd.) v. ii. p. 
292.— Lindl. Syn. p. 179 — Hook. Br. FI. p. 91.— Lightf. FI. Scot. p. 137.— Sibth. 
FI. Oxon. p. 73. — Abb. FI. Bedf. p. 44. — Thornton’s Fam. Herb. p. 98. — Davies’ 
Welsh Bot. p. 21. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 122 ; and v. iii. p. 343. — Relh. FI. Cant. 
(3rded.) p. 85.- — Ilook. FI. Scot. p. 71. — Grev. FI. Edin. p. 48. — FI. Devon, pp. 
36 & 153. — Johnst. FI. Berw. v. i. p. 55. — Winch’s FI. of Northumb. and Durham, 
p. 13. — Walker’s FI. of Oxf. p. 52. — Perry’s PI. Varvie. Selectee, p. 16. — Bab. FI. 
Batli. p. 30. — Mack. Catal. of Plants of Irel. p. 22 ; FI. llibern. pt. I. p. 188. — 
Menycintlies palustris, Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 340. — Menianthes palustre 
triphyllum lati folium et angustifolium, Ray’s Syn. p. 285. — Trifolium palu- 
dosum, Johnson’s Gerarde, p. 1194. 
Localities. — I n marshy and boggy places, watery meadows, and on the margins 
of rivers, pools, and wet ditches. Not uncommon. 
Perennial. — Flowers in May and June. 
Fig. 1. Corolla, opened vertically to show the stamens. — Fig. 2. The Calyx. — 
Fig. 3. The Calyx, Germen, Style, and Stigma. — Fig. 4. A Capsule. — Fig. 5. A 
Capsule with the valves opened. — Fig. 8. A Seed. 
* From mene, Gr. a month ; and anihos, Gr. a flower ; as continuing a mouth 
in blossom. Withering. 
t See folio 48, note +. 
