ONAGRACEAE. 



VOL. II. 



4. Rhexia ciliosa Michx. Ciliate Meadow-Beauty. 

 Fig. 3012. 



Rhexia pctiolata Walt. Fl. Car. 130. 1788. (?) 

 Rhexia ciliosa Michx. Fl. Bor. Am. I : 221. 1803. 



Stem square, glabrous, simple or nearly so, i-2 high. 

 Leaves ascending, ovate, very short-petioled, or sessile, 

 acutish at the apex, mostly rounded at the base, 6"-io" 

 long, 4"-6" wide, 3-nerved, glabrous or nearly so beneath, 

 pubescent with a few scattered hairs above, the margins 

 bristly-ciliate ; cyme few-flowered ; flowers very short- 

 pedicelled, violet-purple, i'-ii' broad; calyx glabrous, or 

 with a few hairs on its lobes ; petals rounded, sometimes 

 apiculate ; anthers oblong, straight, back not spurred. 



In swamps, Maryland to Florida and Louisiana. June-Aug. 



Family 98. ONAGRACEAE Dumort. Anal. 



Fam. 36. 1829.* 

 EVENING-PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



Annual or perennial herbs, rarely shrubs, with alternate or opposite leaves, 

 no stipules or mere glands in their places, and axillary spicate or racemose gen- 

 erally perfect regular or sometimes irregular flowers. Calyx-tube adnate to the 

 ovary, often prolonged beyond it, the limb 2-6-lobed (usually 4-lobed). Petals 

 2-9 (usually 4), convolute in the bud, rarely none. Stamens usually as many or 

 twice as many as the petals, inserted with them on the summit of the calyx-tube, 

 or on the epigynous or perigynous disk. Ovary i-6-celled (usually 4-celled) ; 

 styles united ; stigma capitate, discoid or 4-lobed ; ovules oo in each cavity, gener- 

 ally anatropous. Fruit a capsule or small nut. Seeds mostly small ; endosperm 

 very little or none ; embryo straight. 



About forty genera and 400 species of wide geographic distribution, most abundant in America. 



i. Floral whorls of 4 parts or more. 



A. Fruit a many-seeded capsule, opening by valves or by a pore. 

 * Calyx-tube not prolonged beyond the ovary. 

 Seeds naked ; calyx persistent on the fruit. 

 Stamens 4, in i row. 



Leaves opposite ; stems creeping or floating. 



Flowers sessile ; petals none, or very small ; leaves petioled ; capsules short, the top 



flat. i. Isnardia. 



Flowers long-stalked ; petals conspicuous ; leaves sessile ; capsules elongated, curved, with 

 a prominent 4-lobed stylopodium. 2. Ludwigiantha. 



Leaves alternate ; stems erect or ascending. 3. Ludivigia. 



Stamens 8-12, in 2 rows. 4. Jussiaea. 



Seeds furnished with a tuft of silky hairs ; calyx deciduous. 5. Chamaenerion. 



** Calyx-tube prolonged beyond the ovary ; calyx deciduous. 



Seeds furnished with a tuft of silky hairs. 6. Epilobium. 



Seeds naked or sometimes tuberculate. 

 Stamens equal in length. 



Stigma deeply 4-cleft, its segments linear. 



Ovules and seeds horizontal, in 2 or rarely more rows, prismatic-angled. 



7. Oenothera. 

 Ovules and seeds ascending, not angled. 



Buds erect ; petals yellow ; ovules and seeds in 2 rows. 8. Raimannia. 



Buds drooping ; petals white or pink ; ovules and seeds in i row. 9. Anogra. 



Stigmas entire or slightly 4-toothed. 



Calyx-tube longer than the ovary ; stigma disk-like, entire. 16. Galpinsia. 



Calyx-tube shorter than the ovary ; stigma disk-like, slightly 4-toothed. 17. Meriolix. 

 Stamens unequal in length, the alternate longer. 



Ovules and seeds many, on slender funiculi ; capsules club-shaped. 



Flowers yellow. 10. Kneiffia. 



Flowers white, pink or reddish. n. Hartmannia. 



Ovules or seeds few, sessile, in i or 2 rows. 

 Plants normally acaulescent. 



Capsules obtusely or retusely 4-angled ; seeds furrowed along the raphe. 



12. Pachylophus. 



Capsules sharply 4-angled or winged ; seeds with a tubercle at one end. 13. Lavauxia. 

 Plants caulescent. 



Stems wiry, diffuse : capsules sharply 4-angled. 14. Gaurella. 



Stems stout, not diffuse; capsules 4-winged. 15. Megapterintn. 



* Text revised with the assistance of Dr. JOHN K. SMALL. 



