Centunculus minimus. Bastard Pimpernel. 
CENTUNCULUS Lin. Gen. PI. Tetrandbia Monogynia. 
Cal. 4 fidus. Cor. 4. fida, patens. Siam, brevia. Caps, i locularis, 
circumfcifla. 
RaiiSyn.Gen. 18. HERBi® fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo. 
CENTUNCULUS minimus. Linnai Syjl. Vegetab. p. 133. Spec. Plantar, p. 169. Plor. Suec.p. 136. 
CENTUNCULUS, Haller. Hi^. 
CENTUNCULUS, Dillen. Catal Gifs. p. i6r qI App. p. in. L’ah. 5. 
ALSINE paluftris minima, flofculis albis, frudu Coriandri exiguo. Meni%. Pug. Icon. 
ANAGALLIS paluftris. Vaillant. p. 12. t. 4.. f. 2. 
ANAGALLIDIASTRUM exiguum foltis lanceolatis alternis, flore albo fugaci et vix conlplcuo. Mi> 
cheli nov. gener, p. 14. i. 18. Hudfon, FI. Angi, ed. 1. p. 63. 
RADIX annua, fimplex, fibrofa. 
CAULIS unguicularis ad pollicarem aut ultra, fimplex 
feu ad bafin ramofus, fuberedus, teres, glaber. 
FOLIA alterna, feflilia, ovata, acuta, integerrima, 
glabra, fubcarnofa, patentia. 
FLORES minimi, folitarii, axillares, feftiles. 
CALYX; Perianthium quadripartitum, patens, per- 
liftens, laciniis ovato-lanceolatis, margine 
fufcis, corolla longioribus, fig. i. 
COROLLA monopetala, purpnrafcens, ftibrotata; 
Tubus giobofus; limbus quadripartitus, 
eredus, laciniis ovato-acutis ; demum claufis, 
et calyptras inftar capfula infidentibus. flg. 2- 
STAMINA; Filamenta quatuor, corolla breviora; 
Anther a: minims, flavs. jlg, 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fubrotundum, intra tubum 
corollte; Stylus filiformis, longitudine ger- 
minis et corollae, eredus, perimens; Stig- 
ma fimplex. fig. 4. 
PERICARPIUM : Capsula globofa, ' unilocularis, 
circumfcifla. 5. 
SEMINA plurima, minima, fubconica, jig. 6. 
ROOT annual, fimple and fibrous. 
STALK from half au inch to an inch in height or more, 
fimple or branched at bottom, fomewhat up- 
right, round, and fmooth. 
LEAVES alternate, feflile, ovate, pointed, entire at 
the edge, fmooth, fomewhat fleftiy and 
fpreading. 
FLOWERS very minute, fingle. In the alffi of the 
leaves, without footftalks. 
CALYX a Perianthium divided deeply Into four 
fegments, fpreading, and permanent ; the 
fegments ovato-lanceolate, brown on the 
edge, and longer than the corolla, fg. i, 
COROLLA purplifh, monopetalous, fomewhat wheel- 
ftiaped ; Tube globular ; Limb divided into 
four fegments, which are upright, and of a 
pointed oval fliapc, finally clofed and fitting 
like a calyptra on the top of the capfule. 
fk- 2' 
STAMINA: four Filaments fhorter than the co- 
rolla; AntherjE very minute and yellow. 
3 - 
PISTILLUM: Germen roundifh, within the tube 
of the corolla; Style filiform, the length 
of the germen and corolla, upright and per- 
manent ; Stigma fimple. fr, 4. 
SEED-VESSEL: a Capsule of a globular ftiape, of 
one cavity, dividing horizontally in the 
middle, fg. 3. 
SEEDS numerous, very fmall and fomewhat conical. 
fg.6. 
The Enghfo Botamft is here prefented with a plant remarkable for the minutenefs of all its parts but more 
efpecially of its bloffoms, which are not expanded fo as to fiiew the interior ftrudure of the flower* unlefs the 
fun flunes ftronglyon them, then we difceru its yellow ftamina; Dillenius, who firft gave to this plant the 
name of Centunculus and made a new genus of it, remarks a circumftaiice deferving notice which is that the 
Corolla, which m moft of the rvtaceee (wheel-foaped flowers) drops after blofloming, here continues and covers 
the top of the capfule. ’ 
From the fmall number of places in which this plant has been defcribed to grow, we have been led ro 
confider it as a much fcarcer plant than it really is. “ 
The firft time of my dlfcoveriiig the Centunculus minimus was this fummer, when herharizinc- In 
with Mr Dve» ; I found it on AJhford Ccnmm near his country feat, it there grew in tolerable pfenty, in Lift 
deprefled fituations, ufually overflown ,n the winter along with xhn Lltlordla kcujirh, paffing Lm W»r/ to 
Hounllcw Hentb, I there founa it m fimilat fituations m greater plenty, Spergula nodofa in blooiS, VerondserM 
Ufolm and growing in abundance near it ; this was about the middle of Tulv when the nhnt 
had both flowers and capfuls on it, and Anguft the aift plants from the fame place removed into my g.wden 
and placed m a pot m a lhady fituatton, were m great perfeaton, fo that the Centunculus is not fo fULi™,. 
a plant as many. 
It generally grows about the fize figured in the plate, but may, according to drcumftances, be found much 
larger, as well as much fmallcr. ’ niucn 
Its round capfules in the alie of the leaves, like fmall Coriander feeds, contribute moft to the difeovering of it. 
