OTENT ILL A A n S E R I N A . S i L V Ë R - W ë Ë D ,
POTENTILLA Lin. Geh. PI. Icosâîïdria PoLÿgynià
Cali 10. fidus. Petala 5'. Sein, führoïundai,- nùda, receptaculo pàrvo'
exfucco affixa.
Raii. Syh. Gen. 25. Herbæ seminé kudo polysperMæ.
POTENTILLA Anferina foliis pinnatis ferratis, caule repente, pedunculis urfiflorisr. Lin. Syß. Vègetab
p. 396. Spec. PI. p. 710. Fl. Sùec. n. 452.
FRAGÂRIA cible repente, foliis pinnatis ferratis,- fubtus tomentofis, petiofis tfniflorisv Haller, hifls 1126.■
POTENTILLA Anferina. Scopoli. Fl. Carn. n. 615. .
POTENTILLA Bauhin. pin. $21. Park. 593.
ARGENTINA Gerard, efhac. 993.
PENTAPHYLLOIDES Argentina dr&a Raii. Syn. p. 256. Wild Taiify, Silver-Weed
Hudjon Fl. Angl. ed. 2. p. 222.
LightfoetFl. Scot, pi 268.
Oeder. FI. Dan. t. 544.
U jx perennis, raröofa, extus nigro fufca feu albida
pro rationè ætatis, fibrillofa, defcendëns,
[aULÉS feu pofiüs Mageiiæ, pliifes, in longum ex-
tenfæ, teretes, geniculatæ# rubicundæ, pubef-
I cerîtes, repentes. ; -
OLIA fubtus villofa,- albidcf-cinereä* fupra p'ubefcen-
' tia* viridia, fæpe etiam villofa, cinerea, peti-
ölata, pinnata eum impari : foliolis feffilibus,
oppofitis, ovalibus, Incifo-fërratis ; quorum
inferiora fenfim minora 5 radiealia longius
‘petiolata, procumbentia.
iïlPULÆ pârvxtifculæ, ovales* atutæ, in ipfö pefiolo
communi inter paria foliolorum, fuperne fe£ •
files, oppofitæ, integerrimæ, fubtus paritef
villofæ.
'ETI0LI villofi, fupra plani, bafi vagina conCaVa*
membranacea, tenera, pubefcente, in petiolum
utrinque decurrente.
'AGINÆ caulinæ, h. e ftipulæ, ad genicula caulis
folitariæ, apice bifidæ, fæpe multifidæ, feren-
tes foliolum oblongum dentatum.
LORES pedunculati, ex vaginis caulis ftipulaceis,
folitarii.
EDUNCULI teretes, villofi, uniflori, eredli.
ALYX: Perianïhium monophyllum, villofum,
10. fidum : laciniis ovatis, imbricatis, patenti
reflexis ; quarum 5 interiores integræ, acutw
ufculæ, bafi lutefcentes ; exteriores 5 obtu-
fiufculæ, incifie.^. 1.
IT ALA quinquè, lutea, ovata, obtufa, feffilia, calyci
inferta. Jig. 2.
STAMINA : F ilamenta plurima, fubulata, lutea,
calyci inferta, erefta ; Ant her æ cordatæ,
obtufæ, ereftæ, utrinque planas. 3.
'ISTILLUM: Germina plurima, ovata, obufa, alba,
villo receptaculi circumdata ; St y l i fubulati,
germinis lateri adnati, lutefcentes, ftafnini-
bus breviores, Stigm a ta truncata.^%. 4. 5.
ROOT perennial, branched, externally o f a dark brown
or whitifh colour .according to its age, fur-
11 ifhed- with fmall fibres,- and penetrating
deep.
STALKS or rather runners, feveral extended to a con-
fiderable length, round, jointed,- reddifh,
downy and creeping.
LEAVES hoary on the under fide, of a whitifh afh-
colour, on the upper fide downy, and green,
though fbmetimes alfo hoary and filvery,-
ftanding on footftalks, pinnated, with an
odd one at the extremity j the fmall leaves,
feffile, oppofite, oval, deeply cut in on the
edge; the lowermofl gradually the fmalleft;
the radical ones Handing on longer footftalks
than the others and procumbent.
STIPULAE fmall, oval, and pointed, placed on the common
footftalk itfelf, betwixt each pair of the
fmall leaves, above feffile,- oppofite, entire,
Underneath hoary alfo.
LEAF-STALKS villous, flat on the upper fide, form-»
ing a ftieath at the bottom, which is hollow,
membranous, tender, downy, running down
each fide of the leaf ftalk.
SKtÊATHS of the ftalks or rather the ftipulze of the
runners, are placed fingly at the joints, bifid
and Often multifid at top, bearing an oblong
indented fmall leaf.
FLOWERS Handing on footftalks, proceeding fingly
from the joints of the runners.
FLOWER-STALKS round, villous, upright, fupport-
ing one flower;
C A L YX : a PëriAnthium o f one leaf, villous, divided
into ïó fegments, which are ovate, the
edges laying one over the other, fpreading,
and fomewhat turned back, the £ innermoft
are entire, ratherpointed, yellowifh at the bale,'
the outerriioft bluntifh and jagged jig. 1.
PETALS five, of a yellowifh colour, ovate, obttffe,- feffile,
twice the length of the calyx, very much
expanded, and inlerted into the C a l y x . 2.
STAMINA: numerous F ilaments, tapering, yellow,
inferred into the Calyx, upright; ANtherje
heartfhaped, blunt, upright, flat on both fides.
Jk- 3■
PISTILLUM : Germina numerous, ovate, obttrfo,
white, furrounded by the hairs, of the receptacle
} Styles tapering, growing out of the
fide of the germen, of a yellowifh colour,-
fhorter than the ftamina j St igm a t a truncated.
Jig. 4. 5.
RECEPTACLE hairy.
I FEW plants render themfelves more confpicuous by the whitenefs of their' leaves than the Potentilla Anferina r
Need its old name of Argentina Was derived from this very circumftance } it muft be remark’d however that in this
Nicular it is fubjeft to much variation, the leaves being fometirries filvery on both fides, and fometimes entirely
green, but it is moft commonly found with the upper fide of the leaves green, and the under fide filvery; the
Pore clayey the foil, the whiter the leaves are generally found to be.
' It is a plant which thrives moft hr moift fittlations, efpecially if the foil be clayey, and the water apt to Hague
on it, in fuch fituations it may he found almoft every where abotit London, flowering from July to Sep-
|cmber. , * ’ N 6
Rax informs us on very refpe<ftabie authority that the Boys about Settle in Yorkfhire, call the roots of thefe
plants by the name of Moors, and that ifi the winter feafon they dig. them up and eat them, and that he him-
r'f had been a witnefs to their being turned tip and greedily devoured by fwine— it deferves the confideration oF
p farmer how far thefe animals may be render’d ufeful in this refpeft, not as to this plant only, but many others
Nli are either noxious or ufelefs.
hs medicinal virtues are wholly out of repute.