Sherardia arvensis. Field Sherardia. 
SHERARDIA Lin. Gen. PI. Tktrandria Monogynia. 
Ccr. i -petala, infundibuliformis. Semina 2, tridentata. 
Raii Syn. Gen. 12. Herb;e Stellate. 
SHERARDIA arvenfis foliis omnibus verticlllatis, floribus terminalibus. Lin. Syjl. Vegetab. p. 125. 
Spec. PI. p. 149. FI. Suec. n. 120. 
SHERARDIA foliis fenis Ianceolatis, floribus feffilibus umbellatis. Haller. Hift. n. 734. 
SCHERARDIA arvenjis. Scopoli FI. Cam. 11. 143. 
RUBEOLA arvenfis repens caerulea. Bauh. Pin. 334. 
RUBIA minor pratenfis caerulea. Parkins, p. 276. 
RUBEOLA parvo flore cjeruleo fe fpargcns. I. B. III. 719. Raii Syn. p. 225. Little field Madder. 
Hucljon F/. Angl. ed. 2. p. 66. Ligbtfoot FI. Scot. p. 1 14. 
RADIX annua, fibrofiflima, fibrillis rufis. ^ 
f 
CAULES palmares, fpithamaei et ultra, humifufi, af - 1 
peri, tetragoni. y 
FOLIA fuperiora verticil lata, fena, feu quina, foliolis lan- | 
ceolatis, inferiora numero fenfim decrelcunt, | 
et latiora fiunt, infima fiepius terna, ovata, | 
femiverticillata, omnibus mucronatis, fuperne| 
fcabris. ? 
t 
t 
* 
l 
FLORES umbellati, fefliles, parvi, Rete purpurei. | 
PEDUNCULI axillares, folitarii, tetragoni, peradta flo- f 
refcentia longitudine foliolorum. | 
CAL\ X Involucrum oftophyllum, foliolis lanceo - 1 
latis, carinatis, ciliatis. | 
CALYX Perianthium parvum, 6-dsntatum, fu- f 
perum, perfiftens, jig. 1. | 
t 
COROLLA monopetala, infundibuliformis. Tubus cy- * 
lindraceus, longus. Limbus quadripartitus,! 
planus, laciniis acutis, jig. 2. f 
STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor ad apicem tubi po - 1 
lita, demiflo polline reflexa. Anthers fim- t 
plices, pallide purpurea:, jig. g. | 
PISTILLUM : Germen didymum, oblongum, infe- T 
riim » fS’ 4 * Stylus filiformis, fuperne bifi- | 
dus. Stigmata capitata, jig. 5. | 
PERICARPIUM nullum; frudtus oblongus, coronatus,^ 
longitudinaliter in duo femina leparabilis. ’ | 
SEMINA bina, oblonga, apice tribus acuminibus notata, T 
hinc convexa inde plana, Jig. 6, 7. | 
t 
ROOT annual, extremely fibrdus, the fmall fibres red- 
difh brown. 
STALKS a hand’s breadth, half a foot or more in length, 
laying on the ground, rough and -four-cornered’. 
LEAVES : thole on the upper part of the ftalk growing 
in whirls, five or fix together, the leaves lan- 
ceolate, the lower leases gradually decreafing 
in number, and becoming broader, the lower- 
moft generally growing three together, ovate 
and forming half a whirl, all of them termi- 
nating in a Ihort point, and rough on the up- 
per fide. ^ 
FLOWERS growing in umbels, feffile, fmall, of a 
bright purple colour. 
FLOWER-STALKS growing from the ate of the 
leaves, folitary, four-cornered, when the flow- 
ering is over the length of the leaves. 
CALYX: an Involucrum of eight leaves, which 
~ . T are lanC( -olate, keeled and edged with hairs. 
LALiA: a hnall Perianthium, having fix teeth 
placed on the top of the germen and perma- 
nQ nt,Jig. 1. 
COROLLA monopetalous, funnel-fhaped. Tube cylin- 
drical and long. Limb flat, divided into four 
fliarp fegments, jig. 2. 
STAMINA : four Filaments placed at the top of the 
tube, turning back oil the Ihedding of the pol- 
len. Anthers Ample, pale purple fir o 
PISTILLUM : Germen double, oblong, beneath the 
calyx, Jig. 4. Style filiform, bifid at top. 
cc-nti rn?c T o‘,?T MATA formm g tw ° fmall heads, fe. c. 
SEED-VESSEL none; the fruit oblong, crowned fe- 
parable longitudinally into two feeds. 
SEEDS two together, oblong, furnifhed at top with 
three points, convex on one fide and flat on 
the other, jig, 6 , 7. 
Tournefort confidered this plant as a fpecies of Abarine. The more -n r , 
namC ° f hiS frie ' ld a " d <““• Enghfl, Botanift 
This fmall annual is a native of our corn fields, and common almoft eve™ . • , . 
part of the fummer. ei 7 w “ ere > flowering during the greateft 
There is a neatnefs in its bloflbms almoft fufficient to recommend it as an ornament r 
does not appear to havethe lea ft pretentious* S orname ntal plant : to any other ufe if 
