LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY 583 



than half as long as the capsule. A. latifolia T. & G., not L. (?) A. alcalina 

 Blankinship. Swamps and wet places: Ind. Fla. Tex. Wyo. Mont.; Mex.; 

 Brazil. Plain. Jl-S. 



2. ROTALA L. 



Annual or biennial swamp herbs, with 4-angled stems. Leaves opposite, 

 narrow, entire. Flowers perfect, usually solitary in the axils. Hypanthium 

 campanulate, becoming subglobose in fruit. Sepals 4, very small. Petals 

 usually 4. Stamens 4; filaments short. Ovary subglobose, 4-celled; styles very 

 short; stigma entire or nearly so. Capsule 4-celled, subglobose, septicidally 

 4-valved. 



1. R. ramosior (L.) Koehne. A glabrous annual, 5-25 cm. high; leaves 

 oblong or linear-oblong, 1-3 cm. long, obtuse, acute at the base; flowers usually 

 solitary in the axils; calyx 3-4 mm. long; lobes acuminate; petals minute; cap- 

 sule ellipsoid. Wet places: Mass. Fla. Tex. Neb. Calif. Ida. Wash.; W. 

 Ind. and Mex. Jl-S. 



3. LYTHRUM L. LOOSESTRIFE. 



Herbs or shrubs, with angled stem; ours perennial herbs. Flowers solitary 

 in the axils, or in spikes or racemes. Hypanthium cylindric, ribbed or grooved. 

 Sepals 4-6, accompanied with as many accessory teeth. Petals 4-6, obovate or 

 oblanceolate. Stamens 8-12, in one series; filament filiform. Ovary 2-celled; 

 stigma capitate. Capsule membranous, 2-celled, or becoming 1-celled, septicidally 

 2-valved or bursting irregularly. 



1. L. alatum Pursh. Perennial; stem glabrous, 3-12 dm. high, 4-angled or 

 -winged; leaves sessile, alternate or the lowest opposite, lanceolate or oblong, 

 rounded at the base, acute at the apex, 2-3 cm. long; flowers solitary in the upper 

 axils; petals deep purple, ascending; disk fleshy; calyx 5-6 mm. long in fruit, 

 ribbed. Low ground: Ont. Mass. D.C. Tex. Wyo. B.C. Plain. Je-Au. 



FAMILY 91. ONAGRACEAE. EVENING-PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



Herbs, or rarely shrubs, with simple alternate or opposite leaves. Flow- 

 ers perfect, axillary or in terminal racemes. Hypanthium often elongate, 

 enclosing and adnate to the ovary. Sepals 2-6, usually 4. Petals 

 usually 4, convolute in the bud, rarely wanting. Stamens as many or twice 

 as many as the sepals. Gynoecium of 1-6, usually 4, united carpels. Ovary 

 1-6-celled, inferior; styles united. Fruit capsular or nut-like. 



Flowers 4-merous. 



Fruit a many-seeded capsule, opening by valves. 

 Seeds with a tuft of silky hairs. 



Hypanthium not prolonged beyond the ovary; flowers large. 



1 . (_ HAMAJiW iiKiUIS . 



Hypanthium somewhat prolonged beyond the ovary. 



Hypanthium-tube olindric, not inflated above the ovary, without scalt 



within; flowers neither showy nor scarlet. 

 Flowers regular; stamens and style not declined; petals pun >h, pi 



or white, in ours yellow only in one species. 

 Flowers irregular; stamens and style somewhat declined; 



joV, o. C'OKDi LOJ 



Hypanthium-tube inflated above the ovary, bearing 8 scales wit 



ers irregular, showy scarlet. 

 Seeds without a tuft of silky hairs, naked or tuberculate. 



Hypanthium not produced beyond the ovary; flowers minute 

 Stamens 8; sepals deciduous; capsule linear. 

 Stamens 4; sepals persistent; capsule obovoid or turbinate 



O. 1SNAHU1A. 



Hypanthium prolonged beyond the ovary into a cylindric or funnelform 1 

 Anthers attached near the base, erect; petals never yellow. 

 Calyx-lobes erect; petals minute, clawless; capsule 



Calyx-lobes reflexed; petals showy, clawed; capsule coriaceous. 

 Fertile stamens 4, the alternate ones rudimentary; pet, 



