[ 7 ° 3 ]
S AM O L U S Valerandi.
Brook-weed, or Water Pimpernel.
/ 5 £
P EN T A N D RJ A Monogynia.
G e n . Char. Cor. falver-fhaped, 5-cleft, with intermediate
feales. St am. inferted into the tube,
oppofite to the fegments. Cap/. half inferior, of
one cell, with 5 teeth.
Spec. Char. Leaves blunt. Clutter many-flowered.
A fmall bradlea on each flower-ttalk.
S y n . Samolus Valerandi. Linn. Sp, PI. 243. Sm.
FI. Brit. 2,59. Hudf.g4. With. 246. Hull. 52.
Relh. 92. Sibth. 79. Abbot, 49. Curt. Land,
fa ß . 4. t. 20. Rail Syn. 283.
T H E Water Pimpernel is found, as Linnaeus m e n t i o n s , in
almoft every quarter of the globe and under very d i f f e r e n t
latitudes, We have had occafion to remark that this c i r c u m -
ftance, however uncommon with plants as well as animals in
general, happens to feveral aquatics. The Samolus has li t t le
affinity to its neighbouring genera in the 5th Clafs o f Linnaeus,
for inftead of the natural order of Lyfimach'ue t o w h i c h
M. De Juffieu refers it, I cannot help confidering i t , m o r e
efpecially from its approximation to Montia, as b e l o n g i n g to
his Portulacece; and Mr. Dryander has well obferved th a t
the Sheffieldia of F o r f t e r , a New Holland plant, is but a n o th e r
fpecies of Samolus.
S . Valerandi is not very common in England or S c o t la n d .
It occurs chiefly in clear watery boggy places upon a g r a v e lly -
foil, flowering in July, and is perennial.
Root of many Ample fibres. Whole herb fmooth, p a le -
green, a little fucculent, about a foot high. StAn round, terminating
in one or more long clufters of numerous white
flowers, each on its own flower-ftalk, in the middle of which
Hands a fmall braftea. The leaves are alternate, obovate and
entire. Stamina included within the corolla, which is a lit t le
longer than the calyx. Five fmall feales between the lobes of
the corolla form the effential generic character. The capfuls
is rather more below than above the calyx, and opens w ith
5 teeth at the top.
m