a 
56 MENYANTHES TRIFOLIATA. 
beds at the margin of ponds and brooks. It is 
common in New England, and grows, according 
to Pursh, as far south as Virginia. 
The genus Menyanthes has its corolla hairy 
on the upper side; stigma bifid; capsule one 
celled, two valved. The species in the present 
article is named from its ternate leaves, Class 
Pentandria. Order Monogynia. Natural orders 
Rotacew, Lin. Gentiane, Juss. 
The root of this plant penetrates horizontally 
in the bog-earth to a great distance. It is regu- 
larly intersected with joints at the distance of 
about halfan inch from each other, these joints 
being formed by the breaking off of the old. pe- 
tioles and their sheaths. The leaves proceed from 
the end of the root on long stalks furnished with 
broad. sheathing stipules at base. They are tri- 
foliate, nearly oval, glabrous, somewhat: fleshy, 
and slightly repand, or furnished with many 
irregularities at the edge, which hardly prevent 
them from being entire. The scape is round, 
ascending and smooth, bearing a conical raceme 
of flowers. Peduncles straight, scattered, sup- 
ported by ovate concave bractes. Calyx erect, 
subcampanulate, five parted, persistent. Corolla 
funnel shaped, the tube short, the border five 
cleft, spreading and at length revolute, clothed on 
