PO T E R I UM SanOguiforba.
Common Burnet.
MONO EC IA Polyandrla.
Gen. Char. Male, Cal. 3-leaved. Cor. 4-cleft. Siam,
30 to 40.
Female, Cal. 3-leaved. Cor. 4-cleft. P iß . 1 or a. •
N u t of 2 cells, clothed with the hardened tube o f
the corolla.
Spec. Char. Thorns none. Stem lomewhat angular«
Syn. Poterium Sanguiforba. L in n . Sp. P I. 1411.
H u d f. 421. W ith . 493. Hull. 2 12. Re lh . 362.
S ibth, 168. Abbot. 209. Curt. L a n d . fa jc . 2. 1. 64.
M a r t. F l. R u ß . t. 69.
Sanguiforba minor. R a ii S jn . 203.
NATIVE of dry chalk or limeftone hills, where it generally
grows in great plenty, and flowers in July.
The root is ftrong, woody and perennial. Stems upright
branched, various in height, more or lefs angular, leafy,
fmooth. Leaves pinnated, with round neatly-ferrated leaflets,
veiny, fmooth but not Ihining, having a glaucous hue.
Flowers in round heads on long upright terminal ftalks, the
males in the lower part, the females above, which is unufual.
Sometimes a few barren hermaphrodite blofloms ftand among
them. Calyx of 3 (not 4) leaves. Corolla green, tubular,
4-cleft, efteemed by Juflieu and Gsertner as the real calyx^
perhaps not improperly, conlidering the analogy of the Icofan-
drous plants. Stamina numerous, hanging elegantly like a
tafiel of purple filk out of the flower, and tipped with yellow
anthers. Germens in the fuperior flowers, 1 or 2, each of 2
cells, and crowned by a long ftyle with a beautifully-radiated
purple ftigma. Fruit at* angular rugged nut, invefted with
the tube of the corolla, and containing 2 feeds.
-The leaves tafle and fmell like cucumber, and are ufed to
give that flavour to fallads.