of the scape; sepals elliptic, 4-5 mm. long, 3- to 7-veined; petals elliptic, 15-20 

 mm. long, with about 7 strong veins; filaments 7-8 mm. long, subulate; anthers 

 ovate, acute, about 3 mm. long; staminodia nearly filiform, 12-15 mm. long, 3 to 

 5 in each set, united only at the base; capsule ovoid, about 15 mm. long. 



In wet meadows and wet marly situations in e. Tex., rare, Aug.; from Fla. to 

 Tex., n. to W.Va., Tenn. and Mo. 



3. Pamassia parviflora DC. Fig. 488. 



Rootstock short; basal leaves oval to ovate, cuneate at base, 1-2.5 cm. long, with 

 petioles 1-5 cm. long; scape 1-3 dm. tall; bract below middle of scape, ovate to 

 lanceolate, sessile; sepals 5-8 mm. long, oblong; petals cuneate-obovate or elliptic 

 to oval, entire, clawless, 6-10 mm. long; staminodial scales with 5 to 7 filiform 

 filaments capitate at apex to resemble small stamens; capsule ovoid, 7-1 1 mm. long. 



Bogs, wet meadows and seepage areas, sometimes saline, in N.M. (Lincoln, 

 Otero and Taos cos.) and Ariz. (Apache and Coconino cos.), June-Sept.; Lab. 

 and Que. to B.C., s. to N.M. and Ariz. 



4. Pamassia flmbriata Koenig. Fringed grass-of-Parnassus. Fig. 488. 



Rootstock short; basal leaves reniform to reniform-cordate, 2-4 cm. wide, with 

 petioles 5-15 cm. long; scape 2-3 dm. high; bract near the middle of the scape, 

 cordate-clasping, 5-15 mm. long; sepals elliptic to oval, 5-6 mm. long, often with 

 short cilialike teeth; petals obovate, with a more or less distinct claw, 1-1.2 cm. 

 long, fimbriate on the lower lateral margins; filaments filiform, 4-5 mm. long; 

 staminodial scales rather fleshy, with 5 to 9 short lobes; capsule 8-10 mm. long. 



Springs, bogs and edge of water along streams in N.M. (Rio Arriba and Taos 

 COS.), July-Sept.; Alas., s. to N.M. and CaHf. 



5. Itea L. Sweet-spire 



About 15 species, mostly in southeast Asia. This genus, along with Choristylis 

 Harv., is treated as a segregate family, Iteaceae, by some authors. 



1. Itea virginica L. Tassel-white. Fig. 489. 



Shrubs to 25 dm. tall; leaves simple, alternate, petioled, deciduous, broadly 

 elliptic to oblong or obovate, acute to abruptly acuminate at apex, minutely ser- 

 rate, at time of flowering to 8 cm. or more long; racemes simple, terminating the 

 branchlets, to 2 dm. long and 2 cm. in diameter, loose and open, the rachis and 

 pedicels evident; calyx 5-cleft, free from the ovary or nearly so; petals 5, white, 

 lanceolate, much longer than the calyx and longer than the 5 stamens; capsule 

 7-10 mm. long, ovoid to ellipsoid, 2-grooved, 2-celled, tipped by the 2 united 

 styles, 2-parted when mature, several-seeded. 



Swamps, about lakes and along wooded streams in Okla. (LeFlore and McCur- 

 tain COS.) and e. Tex., Apr.-May; from Fla. to Tex., n. to N.J., e. Pa., Ky., s. 111., 

 Mo. and Okla. 



6. Ribes L. Currant. Gooseberry 



Shrubs with arching or straggly branches, unarmed or sometimes spiny; leaves 

 alternate or appearing to be fascicled, broadly rounded, mostly palmately lobed, 

 with the lobes toothed or crenate; flowers solitary or in fascicles or abbreviated 

 racemes; calyx 5-lobed, often colored, the tube adherent to the ovary; petals 5, 

 small, inserted in the calyx tube; stamens 5, inserted on calyx tube alternately 

 with the petals; ovary 1 -celled; berry crowned by the shriveled remains of the 

 flower. 



About 150 species in cold or temperate regions in both hemispheres. A number 

 of species are of economic importance because they are alternate hosts for the 

 white pine blister rust, the fruits are eaten by birds, animals and man, and many 



1008 



