ACANTHUS FAMILY. 2o'J 



* * * Farther Western species, cultivated and hardy in tlie gardens. 



P. OvatUS, of Oregon, is an early blue-flowered species, smoothish, with 

 ovate or lance-ovate serrate leaves, and open panicle of small flowers. 



P. barbutUS, supposed to come from Mexico, lon: cult, in the gardens ; 

 smooth, with slender wand-like stems 3 -4 high, lanceolate and entire pale 

 leaves, long and loose raceme or panicle of drooping flowers, narrow tubular 

 scarlet corolla over 1' long, with erect upper lip concave and slightly 2-lobcd, 

 the lower parted into 3 reflexed or spreading oblong lobes, some beard in the 

 throat, and sterile filament naked. Var. TORREYI, from New Mexico and 

 Rocky Mountains, is taller, the brighter red corolla with little or no beard in 

 the throat. 



* * * * Common garden species from Mexico, but not hardy N., are forms of 



P. Hartwegi. Smooth : leaves lanceolate, entire, the upper broader at the 

 base and clasping ; peduncles elongated, 3-flowered ; corolla 2* long, deep red 

 or red purple, the border almost equally 5-cleft ; sterile filament naked. 



P. campanulatus. Smooth : leaves lanceolate, acuminate, sharply ser- 

 rate, the base clasping ; flowers in a raceme-like one-sided panicle ; corolla ven- 

 tricose above, reddish-purple or rose-colored ; sterile filament bearded. Varies 

 greatly in cultivation. 



26. RUSSELLIA. (Named for Dr. Alexander Russell of Scotland.) 2/ 



R. jllncea, of Mexico, a showy house and bedding plant; very smooth, 

 with small lance-ovate or linear, or else reduced to little scales on the copious 

 long and rush-like green hanging branches and branchlets ; corolla 1' long, nar- 

 row, bright carmine red. 



27. CASTII/LEIA, PAINTED-CUP. (Named for CastiUejo, a Spanish 

 botanist.) There are several showy species on the plains from beyond the 

 Mississippi to the Pacific. Fl all late spring and summer. 



C. COCcinea, SCARLET P. Sandy low grounds ; pubescent, simple- 

 stemmed, l-2 high, with stem leaves cut-lobed, those next the flowers 

 3-cleft, their dilated and cut-toothed lobes brilliant scarlet, while the 2-cleft 

 calyx is yellowish and the narrow corolla pale yellow. @ @ 



28. PEmCULARIS, LOUSEWORT (which the name denotes). % 



P. Canadensis, COMMON P. or WOOD-BETONT. Low, rather hairy, 

 with alternate leaves, the upper pinnatifid, lower pinnate, a short dense spike of 

 greenish and purplish flowers, oblique calyx without lobes but split down in 

 front, and a dagger-shaped pod : fl. spring. 



P. lanceolata. Less common, in swamps ; 1 3 high, smoothish, with 

 lance-oblong leaves doubly cut-toothed, some of them opposite, a close spike of 

 pale yellow flowers, 2-lobed leafy-crested calyx, and ovate pod : fl. late summer. 



29. MELAMPYRUM, COW-WHEAT. (The name in Greek means 



black grain, from the color of the seeds. ) 



M. Americanum, our only species, common in open woodlands ; 6' 12'- 

 high, with lanceolate leaves, the" upper ones abrupt or truncate at base and 

 with a few bristle-tipped teeth, the scattered flowers pale yellowish or almost 

 white, sometimes purplish-tinged ; produced all summer. 



77. ACANTHACE.ffi, ACANTHUS FAMILY. 



Plants with opposite simple leaves, 2-lipped or otherwise irregu- 

 lar or even regular monopetalous corolla, 4 didynanaous or else only 

 2 stamens, 2-celled ovary and pod, and few seeds, distinguished 

 from the related orders by the seeds without albumen and borne on 

 hook-like projections of the placenta? or on a sort of cup. Chiefly 

 a tropical family ; many in choice conservatories, here omitted. 



