(• 250 .) 
A'SARUM* *. 
.Linnean Class and Order. Dodeca'ndria f, Monogy'nia. 
Natural Order. Artstolo'chiaj, Juss. Gen. PI. p. 72. — Sm. Gr. 
of Bot. p. 85. — Lindl. Syn. p. 224 ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 
72. — Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 418. — Asa'rina;, Link. — Loud. Hort. 
Brit. p. 533. — Querneales ; sect. Asarin.® ; type, Aristolo- 
chiace.e ; subtype, Asa ridas ; Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 523, 583, 
584, & 585. — Sarmentace/e, Linn. 
Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) superior, of one leaf, bell-shaped, 
coriaceous (leather-like), coloured, permanent, in 3 deep, upright 
segments, with incurved points. Corolla none. Filaments 12, 
placed upon the Germen (see fig. 2.), awl-shaped (see fig. 3), half 
the length of the calyx. Anthers (see fig. 3.) attached to the inner 
side of the filaments, below the summits, each of 2 round, separated 
cells. Germen (see fig. 4.) inferior, turbinate. Style (fig. 4 ) co- 
lumnar, furrowed, nearly as long as the stamens. Stigma (see 
fig. 4.) in 6 deep, stellated, recurved segments. Capsule (see fig. 4.) 
coriaceous, of 6 cells, not bursting, its outer coat a continuation of 
the calyx. Seeds (figs. 6 & 7.) several in each cell, inversely egg- 
shaped, with a pale longitudinal crest. 
Distinguished from other genera, in the same class and order, by 
the superior, bell-shaped, 3-lobed calyx ; and the 6-celled capsule. 
One species British. 
A'SARUM EUROPiE'UM. Common Asarabacca. Fole’s-foot. 
Hazelwort. Wild Nard. 
Spec. Char. Leaves in pairs, kidney-shaped, blunt. 
Engl. Bot. t. 1083. — Woodv. Med. Bot. v. ii. p. 237. — Stephenson & Churchill's 
Med. Bot. v. i. t. 23. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 633. — Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed. ) p. 205. — 
Willd. Sp. PI. v. ii. pt. n. p. 838. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. ii. p. 509. Engl. FI. v. ii. p. 
342. — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 572. — Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 263. — Lindl. Syn. 
p. 225. — Hook. Brit. FI. p. 217. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. i. p. 225. — Hook. FI. Scot. p. 
146. — Thornton’s Family Herb. p. 466, with a figure. — Winch’s FI. of Northumb. 
and Durham, p. 31. — Walker’s FI. ofOxf. p. 131. — A'sarum , Ray’s Syn. p. 158. — 
Johnson’s Gerardo, p, 836. — Miller’s Plates, p. 35. t. 53. f. 1. 
Localities. — In mountainous woods ; very rare. — Berksh. Between Maiden- 
head and Henley: Rev. Dr. Abbot. — Cumberland ; Ramskin, Martindale, and 
Keswick: Hutchinson. Naturalized about Ormathwaite : N. J. Winch, F.sq. 
in New Bot. Guide. — Huntingdonshire ; In a wood near Kimbolton: Mr. 
Fernie, in Med. Bot. — Lancashire; In several woods in Lancashire: Ray. 
Near Preston : Mr. T. Hutton — Northumberland ; At Middleton, near Aln- 
wick: Miss Forsteb. Probably not originally indigenous: N. J. Winch, 
Esq. — Westmoreland ; Near Kirby Lonsdale, where it is gathered out of the 
woods for medical use: Dr. Batty. — Yorkshire ; Plentiful in Broad-bottom 
Wood, near Mytholmroyd, six miles from Halifax: Mr. Roberts Leyland. 
Hebden Bridge, near Halifax : New Bot. Guide. Harper-royd Cleugh, near 
Sowerby Bridge, three miles from Halifax: N. J. Winch, Esq. in N. B. G. 
Gildersleets, Gigleswick, and Craven: E. F. Witts, Esq. — SCOTLAND. 
West Binny, near Linlithgow : Miss Liston, in FI. Scot. 
Fig. 1. A Flower opened vertically, showing the stamens and pistil. — Fig. 2. 
Unripe Capsule, crowned with the Stamens and Pistil. — Fig. 3. A separate Stamen. 
Fig. 4. Germen, Style, and Stigma. — Fig. 5. A ripe Capsule, after the external skin 
or epicarp is removed, opened to show the partitions. — Fig. 6. Seeds. — Fig. 7. A 
Seed, a little magnified. 
* From o, Gr. not ; and sairo, Gr. to adorn ; because, says Pliny, it was not 
admitted into the ancient coronal wreaths, (lib. 21. eh. 6.) ; or more likely as being 
concealed under its leaves, it does not adorn the earth. Thornton. 
+ See folio 15, note +. 
