Saxifraga Hirculus. Marsh Saxifrage. 
SAXIFRAGA. Linn. Gen. Pl. Decandria Digynia. 
Cal. 5-partitus. Cor. 5-petala. Capf. 2-roftris, i-locularis polyfperma. 
Rail Syn. Gen. 24. Herb#: pentapetal#: vasculifer#:. 
SAXIFRAGA Hirculus foliis caulinis lanceolatis alternis nudis inermibus, caule ere&o. Linn. Syfl. 
V egetah. ed. 14. Murr. p. 413. Sp. Pl. ed. 3. p. 576. FI. Suec. ed. 2. n. 370. Mantijf. 
p. 3 83. FI. Dan. t. 200. 
SAXIFRAGA Hirculus foliis alternis lanceolatis integerrimis acutis nudis, caule adfcendente foliofo. 
Hudf. FI. Angi. ed. 2. p. 181. 
SAXIFRAGA foliis ellipticis caule unifloro. Hali. Hijl. n. 972. 
SAXIFRAGI A petalis latiflimis luteis lineatis. Hali. Hijl. t. xi. 
GEUM anguftifolium auCtumnale, flore luteo guttato. J. R. H. 252. Raiii Syn. ed. 3. p. 355. 
SEDUM paluftre luteum bicorne nardi celtica: foliis. Mor. Hijl. Ox. III. tfj.f. 12. /. 8. f 5. 
HIRCULUS frificus Dortmanni. Cluf. Cur. pojl. 5. 
CHAMvECISTUS frificus foliis Nardi celticze. Bauh. Pin. p. 46(3. 
CHAMzECISTUS Frificus. Frifian Dwarfe Cillus. Ger. Em. p. 1284.^. 8. Park. Th. p. 656. f. 3. 
RADIX perennis, fibrofa. 
CAULIS fubfpithamteus, ereCliufculus, fimplex, folio- 
fus, teres, fub-biflorus, pilis raris flexuofis 
fufcefcentibus -veftitus. 
SURCULI radicales foliofi, procumbentes, radiculas 
promentes. 
FOLIA fparfa, inferne magis conferta, fubereCla, fefli- 
lia, ad bafin tuberculo inftrufta, lineari-lan- 
ceolata, obtufiufcula, laevia, integerrima, craf- 
fiufcula, pilis raris caulinis fimillimis ciliata. 
FLORES flavi, majufculi, priufquam aperiuntur nu- 
tantes. 
CALYX : Perianthium 5-phyllum, foliolis ovato- 
oblongis,obtufis, pilis caulium fimilibus ciliatis, 
concaviufculis, demum reflexis. 
COROLLA : Petala quinque obovata, flava, calyce 
multo longiora, fubnervofa, gibberibus duobus 
acuminatis ad bafin infignita, pun&ifque nu- 
merofis aurantiacis ad medium ufque macu- 
lata. 
STAMINA : Filamenta decem, fubulata, flava, 
ereCla, alterna breviora, perfiftentia ; An- 
ther#. flavte, compreflie, biloculares, loculis 
demum inferne divergentibus. 
PISTILLUM: Germen oblongum, majufculum, bi- 
fidum; Stigmata duo, plana, villofa, in- 
fidentia. 
PERICARPIUM: Capsula przeter morem grandis. 
0 ROOT perennial, and fibrous. 
V STALK about a fpan high, nearly upright, fimple, 
V leafy, round, fupporting ufually about two 
flowers covered with brownilh hairs, crooked, 
|j and few in number. 
1 SHOOTS from the root leafy, procumbent, putting 
© out fibres. 
V LEAVES growing irregularly, more crowded below, 
s nearly upright, feflile, furnifhed with a fmall 
X tubercle at the bafe, betwixt linear and lan- 
X ceolate, fomewhat blunt, fmooth, perfectly 
|) entire, thickifli, edged with hairs like thole 
0 on the ftalk. 
9 FLOWERS yellow, large, nodding before they 
¥ open. 
a CALYX: a Perianthium of five leaves, which are 
X ovato-oblong, obtufe, edged with hairs like 
1 thofe on the ftalk, fomewhat concave, finally 
<Q reflexed. 
I COROLLA : five Petals obovate, yellow, much 
i longer than the calyx, fomewhat ribbed, each 
A charafterifed by two pointed tubercles at its 
0 bafe, and marked with numerous orange- 
© coloured fpots from the middle downwards. 
1 STAMINA: ten Filaments, tapering, yellow, up- 
9 right, the alternate ones Ihortell, continuing ; 
fj Anther# yellow, flattened, bilocular, the 
X cavities finally diverging below. 
I PISTILLUM : Germen oblong, rather large, bifid ; 
\ Stigmata two, flat, villous, fitting on the 
© germen. 
V SEED-VESSEL : a Capsule larger than in the other 
® fpecies of this genus. 
Though the prefent fpecies of Saxifrage is extremely rare in this country, and altogether local, it is found 
in various parts of Europe, as in Sweden, Switzerland, Lapland, and Siberia, and always in bogs : according 
to Ray, it was firft difcovered on Knutsford-Moor, Chelhire, by Dr. Kingston; upwards of twenty years 
fince, Mr. Howard, Surgeon, of Knutsford, fent me roots of it, the produce of which I ftill retain ; and 
lately I received an account of it, accompanied with a drawing, from Mr. Benjamin Haley, Gardener to 
— Egerton, Efq. Tatton-Park, near Knutsford. 
It is fo very different from all the European Saxifrages, that there is fcarcely a poffibility of its being miftaken 
for any of them, yet it has been confounded with the autumnalis, from which it obvioufly differs in the fuperior 
fize and form of its petals, the lower half of which is beautifully fpotted with orange, and towards the bafe 
of each are two very lingular pointed projections (yid. jig. 1.) which {hews a petal magnified. 
Perfons not converfant with botanical names, are apt to affix a different meaning to its trivial name ( Hirculus) 
to what it imparts : Hirculus fignifies a little goat, and has been applied by fome of the old Botanifts to the 
Valeriana celtica , which the prelent plant refembles in its foliage. 
As this plant, when properly treated, blows freely, and is very ornamental, we fliall give a few directions 
for its culture, and thole indeed may be comprifed in a fmall compafs, it being one of thofe plants that will 
live, if not egregioufly negleCted ; all that is neceflary, is to place a root of it in a pot of bog earth, and 
keep the pot in a pan of water, fo that the earth fliall be conftantly moift; in the winter it will be proper to 
fet the pot and pan under a frame, to guard againft fevere froft ; or the plant will thrive very well in the open 
border (if moift, and formed chiefly of bog earth) and throw out Ihoots, which will take root and afford 
abundance of increafe ; the pliant alfo may be increafed by cuttings of the Ihoots, which will ftrike root if put 
under a clofe glafs towards the clofe of the fummer ; if the plant be kept in a pot, it will be neceflary to renew 
it once in two or three years. 
