FUMARlA. Linn. Gen-. P i . DiAbELPiilA H eXa n d r ia .
Gal. diphyllus. Cor. ringens. Filamenta 2-membranacea, fingula
Antberis o. 6
Ran Syn. Gen, H e r b * f lo r e f e r f e c t o s i k r u c i , seminibus nudis so l it a r i is
SECJ AD SlNGULOS FLORES SINGULIS.
FUMARIA capreolata pericarpiis monofpermis racemofis, foliis fcandentibus fubcirrhofis. Linn ,5V/?
Vegetab. ed, 14. Murr.p. 637. Sp. Pi. cd. 3. p. 985. Light/ Scot. v. 1. p. 380. '
FUMARIA officinalis var. Hud/. FI. Angl. ed. 2. p. 309.
FUMARIA viticulis et capreolis plantis vicinis adhairens. Bauh. Pimp. 143.
FUMARIA major fcandens flore pallidiore. Rail Syn. ed. 3. >. 204. The greater ramping Fumitory.
FUMARIA flore albo White flowred Fumitorie. Ger. Herb. p. 927. f . 2. defcribed with tendrils
but not figured with any. *
In the wonderful ceconomy of nature, it is found requ.fite for the well-being o f certain plants, that they
fliould grow to a confiderable height above the furface of the earth ; by far the gfeater part acquire this height
by the llrength and hrmnefs of their Hems, which are capable of refilling the fury of the elements*; othera fefs
robuft, acquire the neceffary height for the moft part, in two ways; .eitlier the Hem inflinSively turns round
the neighbouring plants, as in the Hop and Bindweed, or they throw out tendrils, which have the faculty of
curling round whatever objefls they come in contaa with, as in the Vine, Cucumber, and many of the leguminous
plants : - .n the prefent mllance there is a deviation from both thefe modes, the flalk does not turn I ” ™
Hop, nor does it throw out tendrils as;.n the Vine; but the leaves themfelves perform the office o f tendrils
that is, they curl round whatever objefls they touch. U1U1-C Ui tencirns,
Though the prefent plant, in the colour and form of its leaves and flowers, bears a confiderable refemblance
to he common Fumitory, yet its greater difpolkion to climb did not efcape the obfervation of the older
Botamfts who regarded-it asafpec.es on that a c c o u n tb y what particular means it acquired its funerior
power of afcenfion or in what other refpefls it differed from the common Fumitory, they did not inquffe ffito
as they ought, or hey would not have lpoken of its diftinfl M M and caprtoli it may be doubted even
whether L in» * Ds s term of fubcrrhofu, together with his'defcription of the leaves in his Spec. p C t ( folSa
may not tend to miflead the ftudent; for though the leaves, or rather their foot
.flalks, perform the office of tendnls, their form (as far as we have obferved] undergoes no altemrion
• mpdern tvritere haye expreffed their doubts, as to this plant’s being a fpecies ; if it differed only in the
rparucular ceconomy of its leaves we ffiould doubt.it alfo; for' we have olferved thi commonS v | f l
gro^ngluxunandy^fh^ a fimilar tendency in its leaves to lay hold of contiguous obie&s • and manv we
E w p e r eU n ^ f f i S e . 111 la~ » d with this tendency, forthe capreolata, no wondeJthey
R B I been convinced that the two plants are perfeSIy diftina; the true capreolata- is much lefs
»inclines more^o I I P ? P ant thj ° the.# " W " / foliage has little of the glaucous appe'arance in it but
lit is much bm S e^ loJ 1,£h:green’ ?nd> tak,nS plants of the fame age and of the fame degree of luxuriance
I much broader and has a much greater tendency to perform the office of tendrils and in nnnr0n c
Ifreaifend^rdirpofltl0nto cIlnlb> the P,ant will afcend to a much greater height than the’ officinalis^ and will
I iT e r h L “r : ? r ‘T hedge; the difference in the flowers is equally if n o tlio re
K W t h e v kre 5 P,arm° re f nI:“ g . , than in the number of the flowers which form the fpike • in the
itKo fiie mucb fewer than m the officinalis, being ufually from fix to twelve whilp in vi-i» • >■
M l l i ° f thegflowersy ex h rb itra difeenTe B i g g ’
teodt h V hde ffXtr ity 0 f the ifl I I Mm ■ which are at leaftone ffib-d C dlftm^ on,s- "'e ™ y add the fupenor fize of the flowers.of the capreolata,
faee'l is , 1 ■1 d ,IarSef ; ntlie mouth of the flower m the officinalis (taking two flowers of the fimJlis
a o-nnd i 0^ n’ t l jt ls nie UP tbe ?a” na adheres more clofely to the other parts • in the catrpoh/n »hi
1 the calyx 1 “ f 13” 1; in .the «Memlis the peduncle is inferted more into the middle of the flower •
| l , 2, ivhere a flower ofercV£l° P'Drt'onf b )’ ^ a d e r , and its upper edge rifes higher on the flower, -aid. fig.
I- eacb 1S reprefented, that they may be compared together. ^*
J in le n d gL tmtod°trrrVo ldd,at “ “ m° f IoCar' ‘|?e ^ « certainly much more rare
*r “ • ■ “ ■■■ H B s a
■
“ To loftier fortns are rougher talks affign’d,
“ The flickering oak relifts the ftormy wind."