EXACUM FILIFORME. LEAST GENTIANELLA.
EXACUM filiforme; foliis sessilibus, caule filiformi dichotomo, pedunculis elongatis. Sm.
EXACUM filiforme. SmHh Engl. Bot. t. 235. With. Bot. A rr. ed. 4. vol. 2. p . 191. Fl. B r it.
p . 182. Wïtld. Sp. PI. vol. 1. p. 630. Decand. Fl. Fr. ed. 3. vol. 3. p. 663. Fl. Gall.
Syn. p. 246. Pers. Syn. PI. vol. 1. p. 136. Alton Hort. Kew. ed. 2. vol. 1. p. 250.
G EN T IA N A filiformis. Linn. Sp. P l.p . 335. Huds. A n g l.p . 103* Oed. Fl. Dan. t. 324. Hoffm.
Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1. P . I. p. 123.
GEN TA U RIUM palustre luteum minimum nostras. Rail Syn. p. 286.
Dut. Kogelpyp. Fr. L a Gentianelle. Germ. Die Kugelröhre. It. Port.'& Span. Esaco.
Class a n d Order. T E TRANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[N atural Order. G EN T IA N EÆ , Juss. Decand.]
G en. Char. Calyx quadrifidus. Corolla hypocr’ateriformis, tubo ventricoso. Capsula bisulca, mono- bi-locu-
laris, polysperma, apice dehiscens. Stigma' capitatum.
Gen . Char. Calyx quadrifid. Corolla hypocrateriform, with the tube ventricose. Capsule marked with two
furrows, one- or two-celled, many-seeded, opening at the extremity. Stigma capitate.
Tota planta pallide viridis,.senectute fusco-rufescens.
Radix annua, parva, fibrosa.
Caulis digitalis, raro altior, erectus, dichotomus, flex-
uosus, glaber, teretiusculus, basi prsecipue fo-
, liosus.
Folia spathulato-lanceolata, integerrima, opposita, basi
connata, carnosa, radicalia majora, sed vix très
lîneas longa, patentia vel etiam reflexa, approxi-
mata; reliqua valde remota, magis angusta, erec-
ta, cauli appressa.
Pedunculi terminales lateralesque, erecti, biunciales,
graciles, uniflori.
Calyx quadridentatus, dentibus acutis margine mem-
branaceis.
Corolla persistens,. flava, hypocrateriformis. Tubus
germini arete appressus, yentricosus ; limbo quadripartite,
patente ; laciniis ovatis, planiusculis,
• obtusis.
Stamina quatuor, paulo infra faucem corollas inserta,
et cum ejus laciniis alternantia. Filamenta brevia.
Antheræ paululum exsertæ, flavæ.
Germen ovatum.
Stylus germinis longitudine, filiformis.
Stigma capitatum.
Pericarpium: Capsula calyce corollaque persisten-
tibus tecta, oblongo-ovata, acuminata, unilocula-
ris, bivalvis, longitudinaliter dehiscens.
Receptacula e valvarum marginibus introflexis.
Semina numerosa, fusca, ovata, subangulata, punctata.
Integumentum crustaceo-coriaceum.
Albumen semini conforme, album, carnosum.
Embryo intralbuminosa, oblonga, recta.
Cotyledones breves. Radicula umbilicum spectans.
The whole plant is o f a pale-green colour, becoming by
age of a brownish red.
Root annual, small, fibrous.
Stalk rarely exceeding a finger’s length in height, erect,
dichotomous, flexuose, smooth, nearly round,
leafy, especially at the base.
Leaves between spathulate and lanceolate, entire, opposite,
connate at the base, fleshy, the radical
ones the largest, yet scarcely three lines long,
patent or slightly reflexed, approximated; the
others very remote, more narrow, erect, placed
close to the stalk.
Peduncles terminal and lateral, erect, two inches in
length, slender, one-flowered.
Calyx four-cleft, the segments acute, membranaceous
at the margin.
Corolla persistent, yellow, hypocrateriform. Tube
closely appressed to the germen, ventricose; the
limb four-partite, patent; the segments ovate,
plane, obtuse.
Stamens four, inserted a little below the orifice of the
corolla, and alternating with its segments. Filaments
short.
Anthers a little exserted, yellow.
Germen ovate.
Style the same length as the germen, filiform.
Stigma capitate.
Pericarp : Capsule covered with the persistent calyx
and corolla, oblong-ovate, acuminated, one-celled
two-valved, splitting longitudinally.
Receptacles formed by the indexed margins of the
valves.
Seeds numerous, brown, ovate, slightly angular, dotted.
Integument between crustaceous and coriaceous.
Albumen o f the same figure as the seed, white, fleshy.
Embryo within the albumen, oblong, straight.
Cotyledons short. Radicle looking towards the umbilicum.
Fig. 1. Flower. Fig. 2. Corolla cut open to show the stamens. Fig. 3. Germ.en. Fig. 4. Germen cut open
transversely. Fig. 5. Capsule covered by the persistent corolla. Fig. 6. Capsule bursting open. Fig. 7. Capsule
cut open transversely. Fig. 8. Seeds. Fig. 9- Seed cut transversely to show the albumeh and embryo.
Fig. 10. Seed cut longitudinally.—all more or less magnified.
This pretty little plant is rather o f scarce occurrence in Britain. The stations for it in the Botanist's Guide are
near the Land’s-end, between Penzance and St. Ives; sand-banks between St. Blazey’s-bridge and the Pansand
Cornwall; various parts of Devonshire and Dorsetshire; and on Horsham-common, Sussex, abundantly; from
which last-mentioned spot the specimens here figured were sent by M r. Borrer in the month o f July, bearina at the
same time both flower and seed.
I t loves a sandy soil, especially if it be likewise moist; and the blossoms only expand in fine weather.
This was included by Linn reus in the genus Gentiana, from which it is abundantly distinct. The capsule, however,
which by Smith and other authors is called two-celled, is composed in reality of but one cell, and the receptacle
of the seeds is formed by the incrassated inflexed margins of the valves. I t comes nearer, perhaps, to Chi-
ronia than to Gentiana, but differs in the number of its anthers, the divisions of the calyx and corolla as well
as in having a capitate stigma, and anthers whose filaments are never spirally twisted.
9".