EPILOBIUM ALPINUM. ALPINE WILLOW HERB.
EPILOBIUM alpimm; foliis ellipticis glabris subpetiolatis subserratis, caule paululum pubescente
paucifloro, capSulis glabriusculis, stigmate clavato indiviso.
EPILOBIUM alpinum. Linn. Sp. Pl. p. 495. Huds. Angl, p. 163. L ig h tf Scot. p . 199. With.
Bot. A rr. ed. 4. vol. 2. p. 361. Ft. Dan. t. 322. Hoffm. Germ. ed. 2. vol. 1. P . I.
p. 179. Willd. Sp. P l. ml. 2. p. 318. Smith FI. Brit. p. 413. Engl. Bot. t. 2001.
Decand. FI. Fr. ed. 3. ml. 4. p. 424. FI. Gall. Syn. p. 328. Ait. Hort. Kew. ed. 2.
ml. 2. p. 347. Pers. Syn. P l. vol. 1. p. 410. Wahl. Lapp. p . 95. (excl. syn. var. e.)
Hook. FI. Scot. P . I. p. 118.
LYSIMACHIA siliquosa glabra minor latifolia. The lesser smooth broad-leaved codded Willow-herb.
Raii Syn. p. 311.
Class a n d O r d e r . OCTANDRIA MONOGYNIA.
[N a tu r a l O r d e r . ONAGRARIÆ, Juss., Decand., Hook.}
G e n . Ch a r . Calyx quadripartitus, superus, deciduus. Petala quatuor. Capsula elongata, obtuse tetragona,
quadrilicularis, quadrivalvis, polysperma. Semina comata.
G e n . Ch a r . Calyx four-partité, superior, deciduous. Petals four. Capsule elongated, obtusely four-sided,
foiifcfcelled, four-valved, many-seeded. Seeds comate.
Ra d ix parva, fibrosa, perennis, fibris ramosis.
Ca u l is digitalis et ultra, erectus, basi solummodo
decumbens, innovationibus ramosus, purpureus,
tetragonus, angulis pubescentibus.
Fo lia opposita, quatuor ad sex lineas longa, elliptica,
obtusa, subserrata, utrinque glabra, basi brevis-
- sime petiolata, nervo subtus margineque purpureo
tincta.
Flores terminales, solitarii, bini vel temi, pedicellati,
pedicellis rubris subpubescentibus.
Ca l y x superus, quadripartitus, laciniis ovatis, purpureo-
viridibus, glabris.
Corolla tetrapetala, petalis obovato-cordatis, purpu-
reo-roseis.
St am in a octo; Filamentisalternatimlongioribus; An-
therae rotundatae, flavas.
P istil lum : Germen inferum, lineare, tetragonum, fus-
co- purpureum, pilis minutis sparsis pubescens;
Stylus brevis; Stigma clavatum, obtusum, integrum.
P e r ic a r p iu m : Capsula linearis, quadrilocularis, in
quatüor valvas subelasticas longitudinaliter de-
hiscens; Receptaculum centrale, liberum, quadri-
alatum.
Sem in a parva, ovata, pilorum fasciculis duobus termi-
nata.
Root small, fibrous, perennial, the fibres branched.
St em about four or five inches in height, erect, at the
base alone decumbent and branched with innovations,
purple, four-sided, with the angles pubescent.
Leaves opposite, from four to six lines long, elliptical,
obtuse, somewhat serrated,‘glabrous on each side,
„ Shortly petiolated at the base, with the nerve beneath
and the margin tinged with purple.
F lowers terminal, solitary, or two or three together,
pedicellate, with the pedicels red, subpubescent.
Caly x superior, four-partite, the segments ovate, purplish
green, glabrous.
Corolla tetrapetalous, the petals obovato-cordate, purplish
rose-colour.
Stam en s eight; the Filaments alternately longer; Anthers
rounded, yellow.
P ist il : Germen inferior, linear, tetragonous, brownish-
purple, pubescent with minute scattered hairs;
Style short; Stigma clavate, obtuse, entire.
P e r ic a r p : Capsule linear, four-celled, opening longitudinally
into four somewhat elastic valves; Receptacle
central, free, with four longitudinal
wings.
Se ed s small, ovate, terminated with two tufts o f hairs.
Fig. 1 . Petal, Fig. 2. Portion of the germen, calyx, stamens and style. Fig. 3. Capsule burst. Fig. 4. Seed
with its coma or feathery appendage:—magnified.
By the sides of alpine rills in the northern parts of Great Britain, and especially in Scotland, ascending to nearly
the highest summits of the more lofty mountains. This pretty little plant is by no means unfrequent, flowering in
June, July, or August, according to the different degrees of its elevation above the level of the sea.
The diminutive proportions of this species of Epilobium, with its almost exactly elliptical and nearly entire leaves,
will ever serve to keep this individual distinct from all its congeners. Its nearest affinity is with E . alsinifolium,
which, indeed, Wahlenberg makes a variety o f it, but whose character we shall more particularly dilate upon when
we come to figure that plant. 163