SERRATULA*. Linnean Class & Order. SYNGENE'SIA†, POLYGA'MIA, ÆquaLIS +. Natural Order. COMPO'SITE§; tribe, CYNAROCEPHALÆ, Juss. -Lindl. Syn. pp. 140 & 152; Introd. to Nat. Syst. of Bot. pp. 197 & 200.-COMPO'SITE; subord. CARDUA'CEE; Loud. Hort. Brit. pp. 520 & 521.-SYNANTHE'REE; tribe, CYNAROCEPHALÆ; Rich. by Macgilliv. pp. 454 & 455.-CINAROCEPHALÆ, sect 2. Juss. Gen. Pl. pp. 171 & 173.—Sm. Gram. of But. pp. 121. Engl. Fl. V. iii. p. 334.-SYRINGA'LES; type, CYNARACEE; Burn. Outl. of Bot. pp. 900 & 931.-COMPO'SITE, Linn. GEN. CHAR. Involucrum (common calyx) (fig. 1.) oblong, nearly cylindrical, imbricated, of numerous, spear-shaped, unarmed, permanent scales. Corolla compound, uniform; florets (see fig. 2.) numerous, perfect, equal, tubular, funnel-shaped, the limb divided into 5 deep, equal segments. Filaments 5, hair-like, very short. Anthers united into a cylindrical tube, as long as the florets. Germen (see fig. 2.) inversely egg-shaped. Style (see figs. 2 & 3.) thread-shaped, as long as the stamens. Stigmas oblong, reflexed. Seed (fig. 5.) inversely egg-shaped, somewhat angular. Pappus (fig. 5.) sessile, rough (see fig. 6.) or feathery, permanent. Receptacle (see fig. 4.) chaffy or hairy, flat. Distinguished from other genera, with the florets all tubular, in the same class and order, by the oblong involucrum of numerous, imbricated, unarmed scales; the rough, nearly equal pappus; and the chaffy or hairy receptacle. One species British. SERRA'TULA TINCTO'RIA. Common Saw-wort. SPEC. CHAR. Leaves pinnatifid, finely serrated. Outer scales of the involucrum egg-shaped, appressed; inner ones (fig. 4.) strapshaped, coloured. Engl. Bot. t. 38.-Linn. Sp. Pl. 1144.-Huds. Fl. Angl. (2nd ed.) p. 349.Sm. Fl. Brit. v. ii. p. 845. Engl. Fl. v. iii. p. 382.-With. (7th ed.) v. iii. p 907. -Gray's Nat. Arr. v. ii. p. 435.-Lindl. Syn. p. 154.-Hook. Br. Fl. p. 349.Lightf. Fl. Scot. v. i. p. 447.-Sibth. Fl. Oxon. p. 243.-Abbot's Fl. Bedf. p. 174.-Purt. Midl. Fl. v. ii. p. 383.-Relh. Fl. Cantab. (3rd ed.) p. 328.-Davies' Welsh Bot. p. 75.-Hook. Fl. Scot. p. 235.-Fl. Devon. pp. 132 & 156.—Walk. Fl. of Oxf. p. 229.-Winch's Fl. of North. and Durham, p. 52.-Curt. Br. Ent. v. iv. t. 183. Bab. Fl. Bath. p. 27.- Mack. Catal. of Pl. of Irel. p. 71.-Serrdtula, Ray's Syn. p. 196.-Johnson's Gerarde, p. 713. LOCALITIES.-In woods and thickets, also on heaths, and in grassy pastures. Frequent in most counties in England; more rare in Scotland.-Oxfordsh. By the side of the foot-path between Bullington Green and Shotover Hill; in Headington Wick Copse; and in woods near Begbrook: W. B.-Berks; In Cumnor Meadow, in great abundance: W. B.-Bedfordsh. Common: Rev. C. ABBOT.Cambridgesh. Madingley, Eversden, and Kingston Woods: Rev. R. RELHAN. Fig. 1. Involucrum.-Fig. 2. A Floret.-Fig. 3. Ditto.-Fig. 4. The Involu * From serrula, a little saw, which the margins of the leaves represent. + See Sonchus oleraceus, f. 147, n. t. See Prenanthes muralis, f. 27, a. -Cornwall; On the Goonhilly Downs, near Helstone: Rev. J. P. JONES, in Bot. Tour.-Devon; Chudleigh, Bovey, Heathfield, Ashburton, Holm Chase, Ilsington, Marychurch, &c.: Fl. Devon.-Durham; On Cleadon Hills; on the sea coast near Whitburn; on hedge banks near Hilton Ferry; at Hamsterley; and near Winch Bridge: TEESDALE.-Essex; Near Woodford: WARNER. -Gloucestersh. In Oakley Woods, near Cirencester; woods near Chedworth, and Withington: W. B.-Kent; Near the late Decoy Ponds at Graveney, near Feversham: E. JACOR, Esq.-Lancash. Dingle, near Liverpool: G. CROSFIELD, Esq.-Leicestersh. Woods near Grooby Pool: Rev. A. BLOXAM, in Mag. of Nat. Hist. v. iii. p. 167.—Northumberland; Near Norton: J. HOGG, Esq. In fields near Walker; and at West Dipton near Hexham: WALLIS.Notts; Near Nottingham, in the hollow without the gate opening towards Radford Lings coming from Larkdale: Dr. DEERING.—Somersetsh. Below Smallcombe Wood; at Conkwell, Warley, Combe Down, and between Wraxhall and the Horse and Jockey: Rev. C. C. BABINGTON.-Surrey: In a wood near Dulwich: Mag. Nat. Hist.-Warwicksh. Woods and fields, common: Mr. PURTON. Near Rugby: Rev. A. BLOXAM.- Wilts; Near Great Bedwyn: W. BARTLETT, Esq.-Worcestersh. Borders of Perry and Nunnery Woods, &c. Abundant on the bank at Rainbow Hill, previous to the alteration of the road: Mr. EDWIN LEES, in Illust. of the Nat. Hist. of Worcestershire. -Yorksh. Near Richmond: LOUDON's Mag. Nat. Hist. v. iv. p. 72.-WALES. In the Isle of Anglesey; Rev. H. DAVIES.-SCOTLAND. Woods and wet pastures, but not common: LIGHTFOOT.-Banks of the Clyde between Daldowie and Bothwell: HOPKIRK. Sea-shore near the mouth of the Dee; Galloway; and between the Nunnery and Senwick, in the parish of Borgue: Dr. WALKER.— IRELAND. Cliffs at Brandon, county of Kerry, 1834, J. T. MACKAY. Perennial.-Flowers from July to September. Root somewhat woody. Stem upright, straight, from 2 to 3 feet high or more, leafy, angular, furrowed, smooth, solid, often reddish, not branched, except at the summit. Leaves alternate, half stemclasping, lyrate or variously pinnatifid (wing-cleft), sometimes entire, always sharply toothed or serrated, usually smooth, but occasionally downy on the under side. Flowers corymbose, of a reddish purple colour, sometimes white. Involucrum (fig. 1.) nearly cylindrical, closely tiled, smooth; its scales somewhat coloured, and downy at the edges, inner ones gradually longer. Seeds striated. Pappus shorter than the florets, bristly, unequal, yellowish, rough with short pointed teeth, not feathery. Receptacle with long chaffy scales, which are twisted when dry, see fig. 7. Whole plant firm, rigid, and hard to the touch, but not prickly. LINNEUS says, it is much used in Sweden as a yellow dye for coarse woollen cloths; and HALLER records, on the authority of some foreign writers, that the above colour, fixed by means of alum, is both beautiful and permanent, and with the addition of blue, makes a better green than either Reseda luteola, or Genista tinctoria, for dying wool or silk. Goats eat this plant; horses are not fond of it; sheep, swine, and cows refuse it. A small, dark brown, fungus (Puccinia compositarum, Hook. Brit. Fl. v. ii. pt. 11. p. 365?) is parasitic on the leaves of this plant in the Oxford Bot. Garden. The Rey, R. BREE, Mr. (now Dr.) BROWN, and the late Mr. SMITH, have observed the flowers of this species to be in effect dioecious, those on one plant having imperfect anthers; those on another abortive stigmas. Sm. Engl. Fl.— See also Tr. of Linn. Soc, v. xii, p. 123. and v. xiii. p. 593. "Illustrations of the Nat. Hist. of Worcestershire, with information on the Statistics, Zoology, and Geology of the County; including also a short account of its Mineral Waters; by CHARLES HASTINGS, M. D. Published at the request of the Council of the Worcestershire Natural History Society. London: published by SHERWOOD, GILBERT, and PIPER; and LEES, Worcester; 1834." An excellent little work, abounding in useful and interesting information in every branch of Natural History. To such Botanical and Entomological Students, who may be residing in, or visiting Worcester and its neighbourhood, it will be found of very essential service, as it contains a perfect list of all" the most remarkable and interesting plants indigenous to Worcestershire, with their Habitats." Also a list of the more rare and beautiful Lepidopterous Insects of the county. These lists were contributed to the work by an excellent and inde fatigable Entomologist and Botanist, Mr. EnwIN LEES, F. L. S., &c. |