﻿( 143 .) 



MERCURIA'LIS* *. 



Linnean Class and Order, DrcE'ciAf, Ennea'ndria. 



Natural Order. Euphorbia'cEjE, Juss. — Lindl. Synop. p. 

 220. ; Introd. to the Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 102. — Rich, by Macgilliv. 

 p. 539. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 533. — Euphorbias, Juss. Gen. PI. 

 p. 385. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 184. — Querneales ; sect. Eu- 

 phorbina; ; type, Euphorbia'ce/e ; subtype, Euphorbidje ; 

 Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp.523, 600, 602, & 604. — Tricocc,e, Linn. 



Gen. Char. Barren Flowers. Calyx (fig. 1.) in 3 deep, egg- 

 shaped, concave, spreading segments. Corolla none. Filaments 

 from 9 to 12, hair-like, upright, nearly equal to the calyx. Jlntliers 

 (figs. 1 & 4.) of 2 globular lobes, bursting along the upper side. 

 Fertile Flowers (see fig. 6). Calyx as in the barren flowers. Co- 

 rolla none. Nectaries 2 awl-shaped pointed bodies, one placed on 

 each side of the germen, and pressed close to its furrows. Germen 

 (fig. 6.) superior, roundish, compressed, with a furrow at each 

 side, rough with hairs. Styles (see figs. 3 & 6.) 2, widely spread- 

 ing, tapering, rough. Stigma (fig. 3.) acute. Capsule of 2 globu- 

 lar lobes, and 2 elastic cells (see fig. 5). Seeds (see fig. 5.) one in 

 each cell, globular. 



Distinguished from other genera, in the same class and order, 

 by the barren floioers with a deeply 3-cleft calyx ; no corolla ; from 

 9 to 12 stamens , with anthers of 2 globose cells. Fertile flowers 

 with a calyx like that of the barren ones ; no corolla, 2 styles, and 

 a 2-lohed, 2-eelled capsule, with one seed in each cell. 



Two species British. 



MERCURIA'LIS PERE'NNIS. Perennial Mercury. Dog’s 

 Mercury. 



Spec. Char. Stem perfectly simple. Leaves rough. Root 

 perennial, creeping. 



Engl. Bot. t. 1872. — Curt. FI. Lond. t. . — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 1465. — Huds. 



FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 435. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. iii. p. 1083. Engl. FI. v. iv. p. 248. 

 — With. (7th ed.) v. ii. p. 513. — Gray’s Nat. Syst. v. ii. p. 261. — Lindl. Syn. 

 p. 223. — Hook. Br. FI. p. 438. — Lightf. FI. Scot. v. ii. p. 620. — Sibth. FI. Oxon. 

 p. 133.— Abbot’s FI. Bedf. p. 216. — Purt. Midi. FI. v. ii. p. 481. — Kelh. FI. 

 Cantab. (3rd ed.) p. 410. — Hook. FI. Scot, p.289. — Grcv. FI. Kdin. p.210. — 

 FI. Devon, pp. 160 & 136. — Johnston’s FI. of Berw. v. i p. 221. — Curt. Brit. 

 Entomol. v i. t. 28. — Walk. FI. of Oxf. p. 298.— Bab. FI. Bath. p. 45. — Mack. 

 Calal. of PI. of Irel. p. 86. — Mercurialis perennis repens Cynocrambe dicta, 

 Ray’s Syn. p. 138. — Cynocrambe, Johnson's Gerarde. p.333. 



Loca i.itiks. — I n woods, copses, hedge banks, &c. Common. 



Perennial. — Flowers in April and May. 



Root creeping, white, very fibrous. Stem upright, unbranched, 

 square, about a foot high, leafy in the upper part. Leaves opposite. 



Fig. 1. A Barren Flower. — Figs. 2 & 6. Fertile ones.— Fig. 3. Pistil. — Fig. 4- 

 A Stamen. — Fig. 5. Capsule. 



* From the heathen deity, Mercury ; said by Puny to have been the dis- 

 coverer of this plant ; or rather, perhaps, of its powerful qualities : though possi- 

 bly the name may merely refer to the colour which the herb yields, in heraldry 

 so called. Withering. 



t From dis, Gr. two ; and oicos, Gr. a house ; the 22nd class in the Arti- 

 ficial System of Linn.vus ; it contains those plants which have their stamens 

 and pistils in separate flowers, and those flowers situated on two sepaiate plants. 



