PEN THORA CEA Er-PA RNA SSI A CEA E. 47 5 



glabrous, tufted ; stems creeping, flowering branches, 0.7-2 dm. high. Lower 

 leaves and those of sterile shoots flat, obovate, entire, 1-2.5 cm. long, sometimes 

 2 cm. wide, rounded at the apex, cuneate at the base or narrowed into a petiole, 

 verticillate in 3*5 ; upper leaves oblanceolate or oblong, alternate, sessile ; cyme 

 2-4-forked, its branches spreading or recurved in flower ; flowers rather distant, 

 often leafy -bracted, about I cm. broad; petals linear-lanceolate, acute, nearly twice 

 the length of the oblong obtuse sepals ; follicles 5 mm. long, tipped with the 

 slender style. On rocks, N. Y. and N. J. to Ga., Ind. and Tenn. Also escaped 

 from gardens to roadsides in the Middle and Eastern States. April-June. 



10. Sedum Nevii A. Gray. NEVIUS' STONECROP. (I. F. f. 1819.) Tufted, 

 glabrous; stems spreading or decumbent, flowering branches ascending, 8-13 cm. 

 high. Leaves of the sterile shoots densely imbricated, spatulate or obovate, nar- 

 rowed or cuneate at the base, mostly sessile, rounded at the apex, entire, 6- 12 mm. 

 long; leaves of the flowering branches spatulate or linear-oblong, alternate; cyme 

 about 3-forked; flowers close together, 6-8 mm. broad; petals linear, acuminate, 

 longer than the sepals; follicles about 4 mm. long, divergent, tipped with the short 

 style. On rocks, Va. to Ala. May-June. 



3. SEMPERVIVUM L. 



Perennial herbs, the succulent leaves imbricated on the short sterile shoots and 

 scattered on the erect flowering stems, with compound cymes of showy flowers. 

 Flowers 6-io-parted. Petals distinct, oblong or lanceolate, acute or acuminate. 

 Stamens twice as many as the petals. Styles filiform; ovules oo . Follicles many- 

 seeded. [Latin, always living.] About 40 species, natives of the Old World. 



i. Sempervivum tectorum L. HOUSELEEK. (I. F. f. 1820.) Flowering 

 stems about 3 dm. high, the barren shoots forming lateral nearly globular tufts. 

 Leaves oval or ovate, the lower 2.5-4 cm. long, thick, short-pointed, bordered by a 

 line of stifT short hairs; cyme large, dense; flowers sometimes 2.5 cm. broad, pink, 

 sessile along its branches; petals lanceolate, acute, 2 to 3 times as long as the ob- 

 tuse ciliate sepals. Essex Co., Mass.; Somerset Co., N. J. Native of continental 

 Europe. Summer. 



Family 3. PENTHORACEAE Rydb. 



Erect perennial scarcely succulent herbs, with alternate sessile serrate 

 thin leaves, and greenish perfect flowers in forked secund cymes. Calyx 

 5-parted. Petals usually wanting, if present 5. Stamens 10, hypogy- 

 nous ; filaments filiform. Carpels 5, united to the middle, ovules oo . 

 Capsule depressed, 5-lobed, 5-beaked, the lobes tipped with divergent 

 styles, many-seeded. Only the following genus. 



i. PENTHORUM L. 



[Greek, five, from the symmetrical flower.] About 3 species, natives of eastern 

 N. Am., Japan and China. 



i. Penthorum sedoides L. DITCH OR VIRGINIA STONECROP. (I. F. f. 1821.) 

 Glabrous, erect; stem 1.5-6 dm. high. Leaves lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, 

 acuminate at each end, finely serrate, 5-10 cm. long; cymes 2-3-forked; flowers 

 short-pedicelled, about 4 mm. broad; sepals triangular-ovate, acute, shorter than the 

 flattish capsule; petals often or generally wanting. In ditches and swamps, N. B. 

 to Fla., Minn., Neb. and Tex. July-Sept. 



Family 4. PARNASSIACEAE Dumort. 

 Grass-of -Parnassus Family. 



Glabrous bog herbs with a rosette of basal leaves and generally one or 

 a few alternate stem-leaves, and solitary terminal flowers. Flowers per- 

 fect. Calyx generally 5-lobed to near the base, free from or adnate to 

 the ovary. Petals 5. Fertile stamens 5 ; staminodia (imperfect stamens) 

 in clusters at the base of each petal. Ovary i -celled with 4 parietal 



