ERYNGIUM ALPINUM.
C H A R A C T E R GENERI CUS.—ESSENTI ALIS.
Flores capitati. Receptáculo paleaceo. LIN. SYST. NAT. 2. p. 201.
PENTAND. Digyn.
CPIARACTER SPECIFICUS, &c.
Eiyngium foliis raclicallbus cordatis, indivifis; caulinis digitato-laciniatis, capitulis fubcylindiicis,
involucro piiinatifido frondofo, paleis trifidis. HORT. KEWENS. I. p. 327.
Eryngium foliis radicalibiis cordatis oblongis, caulinis pinnatifidis, capitulis fubcylindricis.
L I N . SPEC. PLANTAR, p. 337.
G E N E R I C CHARACTER.
Flowers colkaed into a head. Receptacle chaffy.
S P E C I F I C CHARACTER, &c.
Eryngo with the radical leaves cordate and undivided; thofe on the ftalk digitato-laciniatcd;
the heads fubcylindric, with a pinnatifid leafy involucre, and trifid pale®.
Alpine Eryngo. HORT. KEW. i. p. 327.
THE Eiyngium Alpinum, or Alpine Eryngo, is diftingi.ifhed by the peculiar elegance of its
appearance, as well as by the beauty of its colours: the leaves being veined with white, and
thofe on the upper part of the plant of a very fine pale violet blue, varied with the fame delicate
vans of white which diftinguidi the lower leaves. The upper leaves alfo diffbr confiderably
in ftape from the lower ones, and are divided into feveral figured fegments, each of which
IS again fubdivided or laciniated at the edges, and furniihed with weak fpiny proceiTes. The
corona foliacea, or involucre fiirrounding the head of flowers, is Hill more fubdivided than the
upper leaves, and confl:itutes the chief beauty of the plant. In a natural arrangement this
plant might be claffed amongft the Umbellifera;. In point of general habit or appearance it
would induce a beginning botanift to fuppofe that it belonged to the Aggregate, fuch as Dipfacus,
Cephalanthus, &c. &c.