SER 
The Characters are. 
It has a fingle ftalk ; the J heath of the flower is at a 
difiance. "The germen fuftains the flower which has no 
empalement , but has five oblong oval petals which are 
fpreading , but clofe at the top. ‘The neblarium is the 
length of the petal , hollowed at the bafe , oval, and gib- 
bous below , cut into three points , the middle being heart- 
Jhaped and obtufe , the others are acute. The flower has 
two floor t fiamina fitting upon the point al, terminated by 
erebt fummits placed under the upper lip of the nebla- 
rium , and an oblong contorted germen fituated under the 
flower , the ftyle growing to the upper lip of the ncbla- 
rium , crowned by an obfolete fitigma. The germen after- 
ward becomes an oval , obtufe , three-cornered cap fide, 
armed with three keels , opening with a valve under each , 
having one cell filled with finall feeds. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fir ft fedion 
of Linnaeus’s twentieth clais, which includes thofe 
plants whofe flowers have but two ftamina which are 
conneded to the ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. Serapias ( Helleborine ) bulbis fibrofis floribus eredis 
bradea brevioribus. Serapias with fibrous bulbs , and 
erebi flowers with fhort brablea. Helleborine montana 
latifolia. C. B. P. 186. Broad-leaved , Mountain , Baf- 
tard ' Hellebore, 
2. Serapias ( Damafonium ) bulbis fibrofis, petalis nec- 
tario longioribus obtufis, folds lanceolatis nervofis. 
Serapias with fibrous bulbs , obtufe petals which are longer 
than the neblarium , and veined fpear-fhaped leaves. Hel- 
leborine flore albo vel Damafonium montanumlatifo- 
lium. C. B. P. 187. Baftard Hellebore with a white 
flower , or broad-leaved Mountain Damafonium. 
3. Serapias ( Paluftre ) bulbis fibrofis. Serapias with fi- 
brous bulbs , reflexed petals , the lip of the neblarium ob- 
tufe, and fword-jhaped veined leaves , Helleborine an- 
guftifolia paluftris, five pratenfts. C. B. P. 187. Nar- 
row-leaved Marjh, or Meadow Baftard Hellebore. 
4. Serapias ( Latifolium ) bulbis fibrofis, nedari labio 
quinquefido claufo, foliis lanceolatis nervofis amplexi- 
caulibus. Serapias with fibrous bulbs , the lip of the nec- 
tarium cut into five parts clofed, and fpear-fhaped veined 
leaves embracing the ftalks. Helleborine latifolia, flore 
albo claufo. Raii Syn. 2. 242. Broad-leaved Baftard 
Hellebore , with a white clofed flower. 
There are fome other fpecies of this genus which 
grow naturally in Great-Britain and Ireland, but as. I 
have not had the good fortune to meet with them, fo 
I fhall not trouble the reader with an imperfed ac- 
count of them from books : there are alfo a greater 
number of them which grow naturally in the Weft- 
Indies, of which I have famples in my colledion •, 
but having never feen any growing plants of them, I 
fhall not infert them here. 
The firft fort grows naturally in woods and fhady 
places in many parts of England ; the roots are com- 
pofed of many thick flefny fibres, from which arife a 
fingle ftalk a foot high, which is jointed it is gar- 
nifhed at each joint with one veined leaf, thofe on 
the lower part of the ftalk are oval, but thofe above 
are fpear-fhaped, ending in acute points ; they em- 
brace the ftalks at their bafe. The ftalk is adorned 
with flowers toward the top, which have fome refem- 
blance to thofe of Orchis •, they are compofed of two 
whitifh, and three herbaceous petals, which expand ; 
and in the middle appears the nedarium, which has 
a refemblance of a difboweled body of a fly, of a pur- 
plifh colour. Under the flower is fituated a channelled 
oblong head, which after the flower is paft, fwells 
and becomes a feed-veffel filled with very fmall feeds. 
This flowers in June and July, and the feeds ripen 
in autumn. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in Stoken Church 
woods in Oxfordshire, and in feveral parts of Weft- 
moreland and Lancafhire. This hath flefhy fibrous 
roots, not quite fo thick as thofe of the former •, the 
ftalks rife more than a foot high, and are garnifhed 
with fpear-fhaped veined leaves, ending in acute 
points ; they are three inches long and one broad, 
of a lucid green, and fit clofe to the ftalk. The 
SER ■ . 
flowers are difpofed alternately on the upper part cf 
the ftalk ; they are white, and have three outer pe- 
tals which are large, and two fmaller within ; in the 
center is fituated the gaping nedarium, which appears; 
to have two wings. This fort flowers about the fame* 
time as the former. 
The third fort grows naturally in marfhy woods in 
many parts of England ; this hath a flefhy fibrous 
root, from which arife a fingle ftalk a foot and a 
half high, garnifhed at bottom with fword-ftiaped 
veined leaves, four inches long and one broad, em- 
bracing the ftalk with their bafe, ending in acute 
points. The upper part of the ftalk is garnifhed with 
faded purplifh-coloured flowers, difpofed in a loofe 
fpike ; they have five petals, inclofing a large neda- 
rium like the body of a fly, with a yellowifh head 
lfriped with purple and a white body ; the lip which 
hangs down, is white and fringed on the edge., This 
fort flowers in July. 
The fourth fort was difeovered firft in Heitfordfhire,- 
but fince it has been found growing in many other 
places. The root of this is compofed of flefhy fibres ; 
the ftalks rife more than a foot high, and are gar- 
niftied with fpear-fhaped veined leaves, which em- 
brace the ftalks with their bafe. The ftalk is termi- 
nated by a loofe fpike of white flowers, compofed of 
five petals, and a large five-pointed nedarium which 
is fhut ; the germen is oblong and channelled ; this 
afterward becomes a capfule of the fame form, filled 
with fmall feeds. It flowers in July. 
Thefe plants are rarely kept in gardens, and being 
difficult to propagate, there are few who have at- 
tempted to keep them in gardens. They may be 
taken up from the places where they naturally grow, 
when thqir leaves begin to decay, and planted in a 
fhady moift place, where they will thrive and flower, 
S E R J AN I A. See Paullinia. 
SERPENT ARIA. See Aristolochia. 
SERPYLLUM. See Thymus. 
SERRATULA. Dillen. Nov. Gen. 8. Lin. Gen, 
Plant. 831. Jacea. Tourn. Inft. R. EL 444. Saw- 
wort. 
The Characters are. 
The flowers are compofed of many hermaphrodite florets , 
contained in one common cylindrical empalement , which is 
bellied, and the feales are fpear-fhaped, ending in acute 
points. The hermaphrodite florets are equal, funnel-fhaped , 
and of one petal. The tube is inflexed, the brim is bellied , 
and cut into five points -, they have each five fhort hair- 
like ftamina terminated by cylindrical fummits, and an 
oval-crowned germen , fupporting a fender ftyle, crowned 
by two oblong reflexed fligmas. The germen afterward 
turns to a vertical, oval, fingle feed , crowned with down, 
which ripens in the empalement. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedion of 
Linnaeus’s nineteenth clafs, which includes thofe plants 
whofe flowers are compofed of fruitful florets, and 
. the ftamina are conneded to the ftyle^ 
The Species are, 
1. Serratula ( Tinbioria ) foliis pinnatifidis, pinna ter- 
minali maxima. Hort. Cliff. 391. Saw-wort with 
wing-pointed leaves , whofe end lobe is the largeft. Serra- 
tula. C. B. P, 235. Common Saw-wort. 
2. Serratula ( Altijflma ) foliis lanceolato-oblongis fer- 
ratis fubtus tomentofis. Saw-wort with oblong fipear- 
fioaped leaves, which are fawed, and downy on their un- 
der fide. Serratula Noveboracenfis, altiffima, foliis 
Doriae mollibus fubincanis. Par. Bat. Prod. Tallefl 
New-Tork Saw-wort , with foft Doria leaves , hoary on 
their under fide. 
3. Serratula ( Glauca ) foliis ovato-oblongis acumina- 
tis ferratis, floribus corymbofis, calycibus fubrotun- 
dis. Flor. Virg. 92. Saw-wort with oblong, oval, acute- 
pointed, fawed leaves , and flowers in a corymbus whofe 
empalements are roundifh. Serratula Virginiana, foliis 
rigidis. Par. Bat. Prod. 227. Virginian Saw-wort with 
ftiffi leaves. 
4. Serratula (Squarofa) foliis linearibus, calycibus 
fquarrofis fefiilibus acuminatis. Hort. Cliff. 392. Saw- 
wort with linear leaves , and rough empalements which fit 
