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TORMENTILLA reptans.
Trailing Tormentil.
IC OSANDR1A Polygynia.
Gen. Char. Cal. in 8 fegments. Petals 4. Seeds
roundiffi, naked, wrinkled, affixed to a fmall dry
receptacle.
Spec. Char. Stem proftrate. Leaves on footftalks.
Syn. Tormentilla reptans. Linn. Sp. PI. 716.; Sm. FI.
Lrit. 553. With. 476. Hull. 1 12. Rail Syn. 257.
Potentilla procumbens. Sibil. 162.
TX
H I S fpecies o f Tormentil n ow and then occurs about
hedges and the borders o f fields in dry places, but is by no
means com mon . W e even doubt whether M r. Hudfon ever
faw it 5 elfe he furely would never have made it a variety o f
th e Potentilla reptans, though it fometimes bears a five-cleft
bloflbm in the beg inn in g o f its flowering. T he habit and appearance
are as little like that fpecies o f Potentilla as can well
be, i f accurately examined.
T h e root is perennial, fmall and flender. Stems one or two;
18 or 20 inches lon g , entirely proftrate, but not taking root,
fo that the fpecific name procumbens would have been better
than reptans. W h o le herb hairy, and o f a ligh t green.
Radical leaves in fives, on long ftalks; thofe on the ftem in
threes, on fhorter fta lk s; all obovate and deeply ferrated;
the floral leaves feffile, narrow and almoft entire. Stipulse more
or lefs cut. T he flowers, which appear in June and July,
are twice as large as in the Common Tormentil, bright yellow,
and grow on very long capillary ftalks oppofite to the leaves.
T h e ftem, though often quite Ample, is fometimes divided as
in our fpecimen.