Mercurialis Annua. Annual, or French Mercury. 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
MERCURIALIS 
Lin. Gen. Pl. Dioecia Enneandria. 
Masc. Cal. 3-partitus. Cor. o. Stain, g-f. 12. Antherce globofae 
didymas. 
F.em. Cal. 3-partitus. Cor. o. Styli 2. Ctipf. dicocca, 2-lociilaris* 
l-fperma. 
annua caule brachiato, foliis glabris, floribus fpicatis. Lin. Syjl. Vegetal, p. 74 6 * 
Spec. Pl. p. 1465. 
caule annuo, brachiato, foliis conjugatis, ovato lanceolatis, glabris. Hallcr hifl. 
n. 1600. 
Cyno crambe Scopoli FI. Carn. n. 122 6 . 
tefticulata, five mas Diofc. et Plinii. Bauhin pin. 121. 
fpicata, five flemina, Diofc. et Plinii. Bauhin pin. 121; 
vulgaris mas et femina. Park . 295. 
mas et femina. Ger. emac. 332. 
annua glabra vulgaris. Raii Syn. p. 139. French Mercury, the male and female* 
Hud/on. FI. Angl. ed. 2. /’• 435 - 
RADIX annua, fibrofa, alba. 
CAULIS pedalis ad fefquipedalem, ere&us, glaber, 
ad bafin ufque ramofus, geniculatus, geniculis 
incrafl'atis, fubcompreflis, anceps, idque 
alterne. 
RAMI alterne oppofiti, foliofi, cauli fubfimiles. 
FOLIA oppofita, petiolata, ovata, obtufiufcula, pa- 
tentia, bafi biglandulofa, obtufe ferrata, ad 
lentem ciliata, utrinque glabra, lucidiufcula, 
venofa. 
PETIOLI foliis multo breviores, glabri, fupra cana- 
liculati. 
STIPULAE, quatuor, ad genicula, utrinque binze, 
minimae. 
PEDUNCULI florum mafc. axillares, oppofiti, erefli, 
nudi, filiformes, foliis longiores, fubtetra- 
goni, fuperne proferentes glomerulos plures 
florum, fefliles, odore fambuci. 
f ROOT annual, fibrous, of a white colour, 
f STALK a foot or a foot and a half high, upright, 
a fmooth, branched quite to the bottom, 
jointed, the joints fwelled, and fomewhat 
4 flattened, a prominent line runs on each 
f fide of the ftalk, from one joint to another, 
% and that alternately. 
* BRANCHES alternately oppofite, leafy, fomewhat. 
I like the ftalk. 
* LEAVES oppofite. Handing on footftalks, ovate, 
bluntilh, fpreading, having two glands at 
I the bafe, obtufely ferrated, if magnified 
4 edged with hairs, fmooth on each fide, 
fomewhat glofly, and veiny. 
4 LEAF-STALKS much {horter than the leaves, 
fmooth, channelled above. 
I STIPULAE four at each joint, two on each fide, very 
4 minute. 
$ FLOWER-STALKS of the male flowers axillary, 
4 oppofite, upright, naked, filiform, longer 
f than the leaves, fomewhat four-cornered, 
producing towards the top, feveral round. 
$ 
CALYX: Perianthium tripartitum, foliolis ovatis, 
acutis, patentibus, 1 . 
COROLLA nulla. 
STAMINA: Filamenta plerumque novem, alba, 
capillaria; Anther-e didymte, flavas, Jig. 2. 
FLORES F/EMINEI in diftinfta planta. 
PEDUNCULI axillares, foliis breviores, faepius biflori, 
inter flores flenrneos aliquando obfervatur 
mafculus imperfetlus, longius produ&us. 
CALYX ut in mare, nili quod foliola paulo minora, 
fiS- 3 - 
COROLLA nulla. 
NECTARIA duo, fubulata, utrinque ad latus ger- 
minis folitaria, Jig. 4. 
PISTILLUM: Germen fubrotundum, didymum. 
compreflum, hifpidum ; Stylus vix ullus : 
Stigmata duo, fubulata, patentia, longitu- 
dinaliter fuperne hifpida, jig. 5. 
PERICARPIUM: Capsula didyma, echhinata, bilo- 
cularis. 
SEMEN unicum in fingulo loculamento globofum 
extus caftaneum, intus album. 
feflile, fmall clufters of flowers, having the 
4 fmell of elder. 
4 CALYX : a Perianthium deeply divided into three 
| fegments, which are ovate, pointed, and 
X fpreading, jig. 1 . 
4 COROLLA wanting. 
X STAMINA: generally nine Filaments, white and 
4 very fine ; Anther as double, and yellow, 
f fig- 2 - 
% FEMALE FLOWERS on a feparate plant. 
4 FLOWER-STALKS axillary, (horter than the leaves, 
generally fuftaining two flowers ; among the 
4 female flowers we fometimes find an imper- 
il fe£l male flower (landing on a longer foot- 
| ^ ftalk. 
4 CALYX as in the male, except that the leaves are a 
* little fmaller, Jig. 3. 
4 COROLLA wanting. 
f NECTARIES two, tapering, one growing fingly on 
4 each fide of the germen. Jig. 4. 
4 PISTILLUM : Germen roundifh, double, flattened, 
4 hifpid ; Style fcarce any ; Stigmata two, 
4 tapering, fpreading, on the upper fide hifpid 
♦ lengthwife, Jig. 5. 
I SEED-VESSEL a twin Capsule, prickly, having 
$ two cavities. 
f SEED one in each cavity, globular, chefnut coloured 
3 without, white within. 
We can difcover no fatisfa£tory reafon for calling this fpecies by the name of French Mercury, as it is not 
peculiar to France, but found with us, in a variety of places : Ray mentions it as growing plentifully on the 
lea-beach, near Ryde, in the Ifle of Wight ; and Parkinson, near a village called Brookeland, in Romney- 
Marfh, Kent: it would appear to be more common now than formerly, as we very frequently meet with it 
in wafte places, by the fides of roads, and in negle&ed gardens, in the neigbourhood of London. 
The 
