SAXIFEAGACEAE 499 



1. Penthorum sedoides L. Plants 1-8 dm. tall: leaves 3-15 cm. long; blades 

 elliptic-lanceolate or elliptic, finely serrate: sepals ovate, 1.5 mm. long: petals linear 

 to linear-spatulate, or generally wanting: fruit 4-5 mm. broad. 



In swamps and wet soil, New Brunswick to Minnesota, Florida and Texas. Summer. 

 Virginia Stoneceop. 



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Family 4. PARNASSIACEAE Dumort. Grass-of-Parnassus Family, 



Acaulescent herbs, with glabrous foliage. Leaves basal: blades leathery, 

 entire: petioles usually elongated, erect, dilated at the base. Scapes usually 

 solitary, simple, each bearing a bract. Flowers perfect, white or pale yellow, 

 solitary. Perianth in 2 series. Calyx persistent : sepals 5, imbricated. Corolla 

 of 5 variously shaped imbricated entire or fimbriate, often conspicuously nerved, 

 deciduous petals. Androecium of 5 hypogynous or perigynous stamens alternat- 

 ing with entire or tufted staminodia. Filaments subulate. Anthers introrse. 

 Gynoecium of 3 or 4 united carpels. Ovary 1-celled, superior or half -inferior, 

 with 3 or 4 parietal placentae. Styles very short. Stigmas 3-4, over the 

 placentae. Ovules anatropous, numerous. Capsule membranous, 1-celled, loeu- 

 licidally 3-4-valved at the apex. Seeds numerous, winged, the testa loose. Endo- 

 sperm wanting. Embryo straight, terete. 



1. PARNASSIA L. 



Perennial herbs with basal or nearly basal leaves. Flower terminating the scape. 

 Summer and fall. Grass-of-Parnassus. 



Petals clawless: leaf-blades ovate, elliptic or orbicular. 

 Stamens shorter than the staminodia. 



Anthers acute: petals lightly 5-7-veined. 1. P. grandifolia. 



Anthers obtuse: petals strongly many-veined. 2. P. Floridana. 



Stamens longer than the staminodia. 3. P. Caroliniana. 



Petals clawed : leaf-blades reniform or orbicular-reniform. 4. P. asarifolia. 



1. Parnassia grandifolia DC. Plants 3-6 dm. tall: leaf -blades oval or ovate, 

 usually subcordate, 3-10 cm. long: sepals oval to oblong, 4-5 mm. long: petals elliptic 

 to oval, 15-20 mm. long: anthers 4—5 mm. long: capsules about 1.5 cm. long. 



In wet soil, Virginia to Missouri, Florida and Louisiana. 



2. Parnassia Floridana Rydb. Plants about 3 dm. tall: leaf -blades ovate, 2-5 

 cm. long, cordate: sepals linear-oblong, 5-6 mm. long: petals broadly oval, 15-17 mm. 

 long: anthers 2-3 mm. long: capsules not seen. 



In damp grounds, Apalachlcola, Florida. 



3. Parnassia Caroliniana Michx. Plants 2-4 dm. tall : leaf -blades ovate, oval 



or suborbicular, 1.5-6 em. long: sepals elliptic to ovate, 4-5 mm. long: petals broadly 



oval to elliptic, 10-18 mm. long: capsules ovoid, 8-10 mm. long. 



In wet grounds. New Brunswick to Manitoba, Virginia, the Carollnas(?) and South 

 Dakota. 



4. Parnassia asarifolia Vent. Plants 2-4 dm. tall: leaf -blades 4-10 cm. wide: 

 sepals ovate or oblong, 4-5 mm. long: petals 15-21 mm. long; blades ovate to sub- 

 orbicular: capsules ovoid, 6-11 mm. long. 



In wet woods and moimtain brooks, Virginia and West Virginia to Georgia and 

 Alabama. 



Family 5. SAXIFEAGACEAE Dumort. Saxifrage Family. 



Caulescent or acaulescent herbs, with glabrous or variously pubescent foli- 

 age. Leaves alternate or opposite : blades often thick. Flowers perfect or 

 polygamo-dioecious, solitary, racemose, paniculate or eymose. Perianth usually 

 of 2 series. Calyx of 5, or rarely 4 or more sepals, usually persistent. Corolla 

 of usually 4—5 distinct petals, or wanting. Disk normally present. Androecium 

 of as many or twice as many epigynous or perigynous stamens as there are 

 petals, or in apetalous species as many or twice as many as there are sepals. 

 Filaments distinct, thickest below the middle or above it. Gynoecium of 1 or 

 several distinct or united carpels. Styles as many as there are carpels, or cavities 



