/ f 3 [ 8 9 5 ]
1LLECEBRUM vcrticillatum.
Whorled Knotgrafs.
P ENTANDRIA Monogyma.
G en. C har. Cal. of 5 leaves, cartilaginous, inferior.
Cor. none. Capfule of 5 valves with 1 cell. Seed 1.
Spec. Char. Flowers whorled, without bradtese.
Stems procumbent.
Syn . lllecebrum verticillatum. Linn. Sp. PI. 298.
Srn. FI. Brit. 268. Hud/. 100. With. 267.
Hull. 54. Dick/. D r. PI. 57. H. Sicc. fa/c. 12.13.
Corrigiola. Rail Syn. 160.
No part of Britain except Cornwall and Devonfhire has
been hitherto known to produce this plant. It grows in moift
boggy places, flowering in July, and was gathered by Mr. D.
Turner and Mr. Sowerby in their weftern excurfion two years
fince.
Root creeping and perennial. Herb fmooth. Stems procumbent,
a little branched, clothed with numerous pairs of
oppofite, nearly feffile, ovate, entire, rather flefhy leaves, which
are accompanied above their infertion by membranous lacerated
ftipulx. Tufts of flowers forming a fmall whorl grow out of
the axilla of almoft every pair of leaves. The calyx confifts
of 5 white oblong leaves, thick and flefhy, hollowed out on the
inlide, and each tipped with a curved brittle. The ftamina
are fhorter than the calyx, and ttand on a kind of ring, with
5 reddifh awl-fhaped rays, ranged alternately with them on
the fame bafis, which look like petals; but their infertion, and
the analogy of other plants in this Natural Order, rather
indicate them to be of the nature of barren filaments. We
know not whether they are found in every fpecies o f Illecelrwn.
The germen is ovate, ftyle very fhort, ftigma red, with 5 fmall
notches. Capfule of one cell, but formed of 5 valves, the
moll certain mark of the genus. Seed folitary, elliptical, tapering,
round, not compreffed.