ClRCÆA LUTETIANA. E nchanters N ightshade.
CIRCiEA Lin. Gen. PU DiändriA Monögynia
Cor. dipetala. Cal. diphyllus, fuperus» Seni. i. biloculare.
Raii. Syn. Gen* 19. 20. Herbes vasculifer®, flöre dipetalo e t tripetalo*
CIRCLEA lutetiana, caule ere&o, raceinis pluribus, foliis ovatis. Lin. Syjl. Fegelab. p. 55; Sp. PU p. 12,
PL Suecic. n. 6.
CIRCLEA foliis lubcordätis fubferratis. Haller hiß. n. 813.
CIRCLE A lutetiana. Scopoli. FU Carn. n. 6.
CIRCLEA lutetiana. Lob-, ic. 266. Ger. emac. 351.
CIRCtE A lutetiana rriäjor. Park. 35 r»
BOLANIFÖLIA Circaea di&ä major. Bauh, pin. 168.
DCYMASTRUM verrucarium. J; B. i i . 977. Raii. Synops. p. 289. Enchanters Nightfliade.
Oeder. Fl. Dan. t. 256.
Lightfoot FU Scot. p. 20.
Hudfon. FU Angl p» 10.
RÀDIX perertnis, repens, ftolonibus albis. ?
CAULIS pedalis ad fefquipedalem, fubereChis, teres, |
Levis* genicùlis ineraflatis, purpurafçéntibus, :j:
ramöfus. *
RAMÎ öppofiti, longij in ferne foliofi, fuperne pubef- ^
centes.
FOLIA oppofita, petiolatä, fubcordata, acuta, lævia, |
inferne pallid'iora, margine dentata. ¥
FLORES pàrVi, älbidi, fumöiitatibus ramulorüm ra- |
cematim infidentes.
PEDUNCULI alterni, demum deflexn
?
CALYX: Perianthium diphyllum, foliolis ovatis, |
concavis; deflexis, pürpureis, pedunculo coin- ^
muni infidentibus. fig. i. 9.
COROLLA: Pe t al a duo, obcordatà, longitudine |
calycis, patentia, æquaüa, carnea, feffilia. $
fig- 2- . I
STAMINA: F ilamenta duo, capillaria, erecta, |
alba ; Anthëræ fubrotundæ, majufculæ, ?
albidæ. ßg. 3. I
PISTILUM : Germen inferum, hifpidum ; S tylus $
filiformis, longitudine Staminum ; St igm a |
bifidum, rubertimum.J/g-. 4. 8. |
?
PERICARPIÜM : Capsula" turbinato-ovata, com- |
prefl'a, hifpida, pilis uncinatis, bilocularis; |
bivalvis, a bafiâd apicem dehifcens* fig. 5. 6. t
%
1 - ■ . ?
SEMINA duo, oblonga, inferne anguftiora. fig. 7. ?
RO OT perennial and creeping, its young fhoots white.
STALKS from afoot to afoot and half in height,
nearly upright, round, fmooth, the joints
fwelled and purplifh, branched.
BRANCHES oppofite, long, on the lower part leafy,
on the upper downy.
LEAVES oppofite, Handing on foot-ftalks, fo me what
heartfhaped, pointed, fmooth, of a paler green
on the under fide, the edge toothed.
FLOWERS fmall, whitifh, placed on the tops of the
branches in racemi.
FLOWER-STALKS alternate, finally turned downwards.
C A L YX : a Perianthium of two leaves, which are
ovate, hollow, turned back, of a purple colour,
fitting on one common footftalk.^-. 1. 9.
CO ROL LA : two Petals inverfely heartfhaped, the
length of the calyx, fpreading, equal, flefh-
colour’d and feffile fig. 2.
STAMINA : two F ilaments, very fine, upright, of
a white colour ; Anther® roundifh, rather
large, of a whitifh colour, fig. 3.
PISTILLUM: Germen placed below the calyx,
hifpid, and grey ; St y le filiform, the length
of the Stamina ; Stigma bifid, of a bright red
colour, fig. 4. 8.
SEED-VESSEL: a Capsule fomewhat egg-fhaped,
but confiderably broadeft at one end, flatten’d,
hifpid, the hairs hooked at the extremity,
having two cavities and two valves, and opening
ftom the bottom to the top. fig. 5. 6.
SEEDS two, oblong, narrowed: at the bottom, fig. 7.
THE Enchanters Nightjhade is a plant by no means uncommon in particular fituations, as in fhady lanes, in
lorchards, under hedges, walls, and in woods, it flowers in July and Auguft; the Botanift will difcover many
^beauties in its fructification, the gardener finds a difficulty in deftroying it, its root being of the creeping kind,
i Its "feeds being arm’d with little hooks are apt to adhere to ones cloaths, 1 The caterpillar of the Sphinx E/penor or Elephant Hawk Moth which chiefly confines itfelf to the Galium palufire
lor marjh Ladies Bedftraw has fometimes been found feeding on this plant, nor is this the only inftance of its departure
from its-ufual food, in the Autumn of feventy-nine the fame fpecies of caterpillar was fent me from
the country, the plant on which it was there found was the Arum Dracunculus or Dragons, one very diffimilar
in its nature to the Galium, I have often had occafion to obferve that feme caterpillars will perifh unlefs they
) their peculiar food, while others will devour any vegetable that prefents itfelf; who would think that the
Whalcena Brajfiae, would feed heartily, and be nouriffied by the leaves of the deadly Nightjhade, or the roots of the
wnion ? yet I have myfelf'been an eye witnefs to both inftances.