HYPEEICACEAE 785 



Styles 2: inner sepals very small, petal-like or obsolete. 



Peduncles reflexed at maturity: calyx without bractlets, conspicuously surpassing the leaves. 



1. A. pumilum. 

 Peduncles not recurved: calyx subtended by a pair of bractlets, not conspicu- 

 ously surpassing the leaves. 

 Outer sepals cuneate-obovate to oblong-lanceolate or oblong, about as 



long as the capsule. 2. A. linifoHum. 



Outer sepals ovate or oblong-ovate, often much longer than the capsules. 3. .4. fiypericoides. 

 Styles 3-4 : inner sepals slightly smaller than the outer. 



Leaf-blades merely sessile: outer sepals fully as broad as long. 4. A. cuneifolium. 



Leaf-blades clasping: outer sepals longer than broad. 



Outer sepals broader than the leaf-blades: inner sepals shorter than the 



outer. 5. A. starts. 



Outer sepals narrower than the leaf-blades: inner sepals as long as the 



outer. 6. A. tetrapetalum. 



1. Ascyrum pumilum Michx. A low or depressed shrubby plant, with diffusely 

 branched stems, the spreading 2-edged or 2-winged branches 5-20 cm. long. Leaves 

 numerous; blades oval, obovate or linear-oblong, often cuneately narrowed at the base, 

 3-9 mm. long, obtuse, sessile: peduncles slender, 1-2 cm. long or shorter, finally 

 recurved: sepals very unequal, the 2 outer ovate or suborbicular, 6-10 mm. long, 

 obtuse or acutish, the 2 inner obsolete or nearly so: corolla bright yellow, 1.5-2 cm. 

 broad: petals cuneate or obovate: capsules oblong or oval-oblong, about 5 mm. long. 



In sandy soil, Georgia and Florida. Spring and summer. 



2. Ascyrum linifolium Spach. A low diffusely branched shrubby plant, with 



irregular stems varying from 1-5 dm. long. Leaves conspicuously numerous, rather 



crowded on the branchlets; blades narrowly linear, 0.5-1.5 cm. long, acute, somewhat 



revolute, sessile : flowers few in narrow terminal racemes or panicled cymes : sepals very 



unequal, the outer cuneate-obovate to oblong or oblong-lanceolate, 7-9 mm. long, 



acute or rather obtuse, the inner sepals manifest, petaloid: petals yellow: capsules 



■oblong, about as long as the outer sepals. [A. hypericoides C. Mohr. Not L.] 



In sandy soil, Florida to Texas, mainly introduced from tropical America. Spring to 

 fall. St. Andrew's Cross. 



3. Ascyrum hypericoides L. A shrubby plant 1-9 dm. tall with a solitary or 

 several erect ascending or decumbent stems. Leaves commonly numerous, sometimes 

 conspicuously so: blades linear-spatulate to oblanceolate, oblong or obovate-oblong, 

 1-3.5 em. long, obtuse, acutish or sometimes minutely mucronate: flowers few: sepals 

 very unequal, the outer ovate or oblong-ovate, 6-9 mm. long, obtuse or acute at the 

 apex, truncate or subcordate at the base, the inner sepals manifest, petaloid: capsules 

 oiilong-ovoid or nearly oblong, as long as the outer sepals or shorter. [A. mulUcaule 

 Michx.] 



In low grounds or on dry hillsides and in thickets, Massachusetts to Illinois, south to 

 Florida and Texas. Spring to fall. 



4. Ascyrum cuneifolium Chapm. A shrubby plant 1-2 dm. tall, with erect, 

 widely branching stems. Leaves few; blades leathery, cuneate or obovate, 5-20 mm. 

 long, obtuse, minutely black punctate, sessile: flowers few: sepals thick, the 2 outer 

 suborbicular. 1-1.5 cm. long, the 2 inner oblong or nearly so, shorter than the outer: 

 corolla bright yellow, 2.5-3 cm. broad: petals obovate, delicately striped: capsules 

 ovoid, 7-8 mm. long, abruptly pointed. 



In low pine lands, Florida. Summer and fall. 



5. Ascyrum stdns Michx. A branching shrubby plant 3-9 dm. tall, with erect 

 stems, the branches 2-edged or 2-winged. Leaves rather numerous; blades leathery, 

 oblong-elliptic varying to obovate, 1-4 cm. long, obtuse, spreading or ascending, ses- 

 sile, partially clasping: cymes few-flowered: pedicels stout, 4-10 mm. long, longer than 

 the peduncles, subtended by 2 small bractlets: sepals thick, the outer broadly ovate 

 or suborbicular, 8-15 mm. long, obtuse, cordate, the inner lanceolate, shorter than the 

 outer: corolla bright yellow, 2.5-4 cm. broad: petals somewhat persistent: styles 3-4, 

 short: capsules ovoid, 7-9 mm. long, abruptly pointed. 



In swamps or moist sandy soil, Long Island to Pennsylvania, Florida and Texas. 

 Summer to winter. 



6. Ascyrum tetrapetalum (Lam.) Vail. A showy shrub 2-9 dm. tall, with 

 forking stems. Leaves mostly approximate ; blades leathery, ovate to oval, 0.8-3.5 

 cm. long, obtuse or acutish, conspicuously punctate, sessile and clasping: pedicels 3-12 

 mm. long, often subtended by 2 bractlets: sepals leathery, the outer resembling the 

 leaves, 8-15 mm. long, acute or short-acuminate, the 2 inner lanceolate or linear, about 



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