W [ 9 io ]
R U M E X digynus*
Mountain Sorrel,
t tEXANDRIA Trlgynid.
G en* ChAr. Cal. 3-leaved. Petals 3, clofed. Seed 1 ,
fuperior, nakedj triangular. Stigmas many-cleft.
S pec. Char. Valves ovate, entire, without grains,
Styles two.
Syn. Rumex digynus. Linn. Sp. Pi. 480. Sm. FI.
Britt 395. H ud/ 156. With. 357. Hull. 78.
Light/. 190.
Acetofa rotundifolia repens Eboracenfis, folio in
medio deliquium patiente. Rati Syru 143.
M r . MACKAY has kindly fupplied us with this fpecitneii
of the Mountain Sorrel, a plant which inhabits moift clefts of
rocks and boggy fpots about the fummits of high mountains
in Scotland, Wales, and the northern counties of England,
flowering in June.
The root is perennial, deeply fixed in the ground, branching
at the top into many heads. Stems 6 or 8 inches high, nearly
naked, panicled. Leaves almoft entirely radical, on long foot,
flalks, kidney-fhaped, cut off as it were at the end, entire,
fmooth, veiny, of a light pleafant green. Each branch of the
ftem has a fheathing membranous bra&ea at its bafe. The
flowers are ranged along the branches in little pendulous tufts.
Segments of the calyx unequal, ovate, entire and undivided,
deftitute of any granulations. Stamina fhort. Germen obcor-
date, compreffed, with a red.edged wings. Styles but a,
fhort, with red tufted ftigmas. The whole herb has an acid
flavour mixed with aftringency.
Linnaeus in Critica Botanica p. 220 juftly diverts himfelf at
the expenfe of Morifon, who defcribes the leaf of this Rumex
as “ fainting away in the middle;” fee Ray’s fynonym. lie
at firft conceived Morifon intended the garden forrel with a
pale fpot on the leaf, as perfons who faint always turn pale,
but afterwards found his miftake.