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POLYC A/ll PON * *. 



Linnean Class and Order. Tria'ndria f, Trigy'nia. 



Natural Order. Illecebreje, Dr. R. Brown. — Lindl. Syn. 

 p. 60. ; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. p. 164. — Paronychie,e, 

 Rich, by Macgilliv. p. 508. — Loud. Hort. Brit. p. 516. — Rosales ; 

 sect. Crassulin/e ; type, Portulaceas ; subty. Polycarpida? ; 

 Bum. Outl. of Bot. p. 614, 730, & 739. — Caryophylleas, Juss. 

 Gen. PI. p.299. — Sm. Gram, of Bot. p. 159. — Caryophyllei, 

 Linn. 



Gen. Char. Calyx (fig. 1.) inferior, of 5 concave, keeled, 

 sharp-pointed, permanent sepals. Corolla (fig. 2.) of 5 nearly en- 

 tire petals, shorter than the calyx, and alternate with it. Filaments 

 (see fig. 2.) 3, sometimes 5, awl-shaped, half the length of the 

 calyx. Anthers upright, 2-lobed. Germen (fig. 3.) egg-shaped. 

 Styles (fig. 3.) 3, spreading, the length of the germen. Stigmas 

 blunt, somewhat capitate. Capsule (fig. 4.) egg-shaped, of 1 cell, 

 with 3 egg-shaped, concave valves,- (figs. 5 & 6). Seeds (fig. 7.) 

 numerous, slightly kidney-shaped, rough, nearly sessile, on an ob- 

 long central receptacle ( placenta J. 



The calyx of 5 sepals ; the corolla of 5 nearly entire petals ; 

 and the 3-valved, many-seeded capsule ; will distinguish this from 

 other genera in the same class and order. 



One species British. 



POLYC A'RPON TETRAPUY'LLUM. Four-leaved All-seed. 



Spec. Char. Flowers triandrous. Petals notched. Stem-leaves 

 four in a whorl ; those of the branches opposite. 



Engl. Bot. 1. 1031.— Flora Giaeca, v. ii. p. 4. 1. 102. — Linn. Sp. PI. p. 131. — 

 Huds. FI. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 60. — Sm. FI. Brit. v. i. p. 162. Engl. FI. v. i. p. 

 189. — With. (7th ed.) v.ii. p.210. — Lindl. Syn. p.61. — Ilook. Brit. FI. p.59. — 

 FI. Devon, pp. 24 & 185. — Don’s Gen. Syst. of Gard. and Bot. v. iii. p. 93. — 

 Polycdrpon tetraphy'llon, Gray’s Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 547. — Anthyllis marina 

 incana alsinefolia, Johnson’s Gerarde, p.622. 



Localities. — In waste ground on the South coast.— Devonshire; On some 

 old walls at Lympstone, near Exeter: Rev. Mr. Newberry. Found in the 

 same place since by Miss Filmoiif. — Dorsetshire ; In the Isle of Portland: 

 Hudson. On the neck of the Isle of Portland, close to the shingly beach : Rev. 

 Dr. Goodenough. On Chesil Bank: Mr. Lambert. — Yorkshire ; Near Hull: 

 Mr. P. W. Watson. — WALES. Glamorganshire ; On sandy wastes be- 

 tween Pyle Inn and the Sea: Dr. Turton. 



Annual. — Flowers from May to September. 



Root small, tapering. Stem very much branched, spreading on 

 the ground, from 3 to 6 inches long, nearly cylindrical, and rough 



Fig. 1. Calyx. — Fig. 2. Corolla, with the calyx removed, showing the Petals, 

 Stamens, Germen, and Styles. — Fig. 3. Germen and Pistils. — Fig. 4. Cap- 

 sule. — Fig. 5. Capsule opened, showing the 3 valves and the seeds. — Fig. 6. 

 The same, after it has discharged the seeds. — Fig. 7. A Seed. — All more or 

 less magnified. 



* From poly, Gr. many ; and karpos, Gr. a seed ; seeds numerous. Don. 



t Sec Phalaris canariensis, folio 56, note f- 



