l y o s o T i s S corpi o i des . Mouse-Ear
S c o r p i o n - G ras s .
MYOSOTIS Linn. Gen. PL. Pentandria Monogynia.
Cal. hypocrateriformis, 5. fida, emarginata : faux claufa fornicibus.
Rail Syn. Gen. 13. Herbæ asperifoliæ.
MYOSOTIS Scorpioides feminibus lævibus, foliorum apicibus callofis. Linn. Syft, Vegetab. Sp. PL.
p. 188. FL. Suède, n. 157.
SCORPIURUS radice longa fibrata perenni. Haller Hiß. 591.
MYOSOTIS Scôrpioides. Scopoli n. 185.
ECHIUM feorpioides paluftre. Bauh. Pin. 254.
MYOSOTIS feorpioides paluftris. Ger. emac. 337.
MYOSOTIS feorpioides repens. Park. 691. Raii Syn. p. 222. n. 4. Water Scorpion-Grafs.
Hudfon. Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 78.
Lightfoot Fl. Scot. p. 232.
RADIX per aquam longe excurrit, et fibrillas e geni- ■
culis dimittit.
KAULIS bafi repens, dein ereâus, pedalis aut bipe-
dalis, teres, folidus, ramoius, glaber, fæpe '
I hirfutus.
FOLIA alterna, lanceolata, feffilia, fubdeçurrentia,
glabra five hirfuta, margine fæpe revoluta.
HIACEMI longi, dichotomi, divaricati, apicibus invo-
■ FLORES pedunculati, fecundi; pedunculis alternis.,
ereftis.
KALYX: Perianthium monophyllum, tubulatum,
quinquedentatum, perfiftens, 1.
KOROLLA monopetala, hypocrateriformis, Tubus
longitudine càlycis; Limbus planus, femi-
quinquefidus, laciniis obtufis, fubemargina-
tis; Faux claufa fqamulis quinque convexis,
prominentibus, luteis, jig. 2, 3. 6.
BTAMINA: Filament a quinque in collo tubi, bre-
. viffima: A ntheræ oblongæ, flavæ, apicibus
tumidis, te£læ, jig. 4.
■ rISTILLUM: Germina quatuor;. Stylus filifor-
mis, longitudine tubi corollæ ; Stigma ob-
tufum.
MPERICARPIUM nullum, Calyx femina in finu fovens.
BEMINA quatuor, ovata, glabra, nigricantia, nitida, fis- 5-
ROOT runs out to a great length through the water,
and fends down fibres from the joints.
STALK creeping at bottom, afterwards upright from
one to two feet high, round, folid, branched,
fmooth, but often hairy.
LEAVES alternate, lanceolate, feflile, {lightly decurrent,
fmooth .or hirfute, the edge often rolled
back.
RACEMI long, dichotomous; divaricating, the tops
rolled in.
FLOWERS {landing on footflalks and growing all
one way; footflalks alternate and upright.
CAL YX: a Perianthium of one leaf, tubular, having
five teeth and permanent, Jig. 1.
COROLLA monopetalous, lalver-fhaped,the Tube the
length of the calyx: the Limb flat, divided
into five blunt fegments with a flight notch
in each; the mouth clofed with five convex
prominent yellow feales or glands,^-, 2 ,3 .6.
. STAMINA: five Filaments, very ftiort, placed in the
neck of the tube; A n th er s oblong,yellow,
the tips fwelled, and enclofed,fig. 4.
| PISTILLUM: G ermina four; Style thread {haped,
! the length of the tube of the corolla; Stigma
► blunt.
| SEED-VESSEL wanting, the Calyx containing and
► enclofing the feeds.
| SEEDS four, oval, fmooth, blackifh, and Alining,
1 fig* 5'
§tr ^ew plants affume lb great a variety o f appearances as the Myofotisfcorpioides, few accommodate themfelves to
■ uch a diverfity of foil and fituation; the very different habit which this plant affumes in dry and wet fitua-
Kions, has induced H a l l e r to divide it into two fpecies, viz. annual and perennial, the aquatic one having
Recording to him a perennial, and the other an annual root; we might perhaps be nearly as much juftified in
■ rOnlidenng feme others of its {hiking varieties as fpecies alfo, particularly the one with yellow flowers* and the
Rarger {lowered one figured by Ray, but as L innalus and the generality of modern Botanifts agree in confider-
■ *ng them all but as one fpecies, we rather choofe to acquiefce in their determination; fhould future obfervation
P « p enment give us any reafon to fuppofe them fpecies, we Ihall be very happy to do juflice to the opinion
■ had^fa^U^tlC l ar.iety here figured grows very commonly in wet ditches and rivulets, its flowers efpecially in
To »or thei^ti beaut 'UV'11J6 luucu mrgci larger anu and more conipicuous conspicuous tnan than wnen when growing i
in a dry foil, are often remarked
liees |lges of of ponds.
°eaU|ty and delicacy, they fomewhat refemble blue enamel, and are a very pretty ornament for the
SrouniJ 11 “ fually occurs in fallow fields, and gardens but little cultivated; the varieties with yellow
»ers m u
l»d September.
I Linnl* 0* fufpeâs its being poifonous to flieep. vid. Stillingfleet’s mifccl. traMs. p. 355. ed. 2.
id s™,l™ .unfre<luent on dty landy banks, and fometimes on walls; they all flower from May to Auguft