No. 59. LEPTANDRA. 21 



cribed the purple kind. The others were the Ve- 

 ronica Sibirica of L. or Leptandra Cerulea^ and 

 the K virginica of Thunberg, very different from 

 ours, which must be called Z. japonica^ besides the true 

 K virginica of L. which I designate as follows, and call 

 2. Leptandra alba; stem angular and smooth, leaves 

 verticillated, commonly by five, scmi-petiolate, lanceolate, 

 acuminate, unequally and mucronately serrate, spikes 

 dense, cylindrical, flowers white. 



This is therefore very different from my purpurea. It 

 is, however, the most common species, being found all 

 over the United States, while the L, purpurea is confin- 

 ed to the savanas of the South and the West. They have 

 both the same properties, and are used promiscuously* 



The Z. alba has many varieties, such as — 1. Qwa- 



drifolia. 2. MulticauUs. 3* Polystachya. 4. Macrosta 

 drya. 5. Angustifolia^ &c. The Z. purpurea has 

 fewer — 1, Heterophylla^ upper leaves opposite, ovate. 

 2. Prolifera^ spike subramose- 3. Pallida^ with pale or 

 whitish flowers - 



A third species of this genus appears to grow in the 

 United States, very different from the Z. alba and pur- 

 purea. It is the veronica virginica described by Vahl 

 and Poiset, but not L. Mr. Schriveinitz has found it 



in North Carolina 5 it may be called and designated as 

 follow: 



3. Leptandra villosa. Stem round, branched, hairy, 

 and brown^ leaves oval lanceolate, subpetiolate, suD- 

 serrate, acuminate, hairy, and brownish beneath, lower 

 whorls by five, upper by three or four, and sessile; 

 spike cyhndrical, pubescent, base lax, bracts subulate, 

 calix lanceolate, unequal, flowers white. 



These plants blossom in summer, and are very orna- 

 mental, but scentless. They have many local names; 

 the Delaware Indians call them Quitel} the Missouri and 

 Osages Hini'y black root is a name common to many 

 plants and liable to deceive/ the Pterocaulon is thu« 

 called in the South, and the Botrophis in many parts. 

 The local names of Bowman, Brinton, Culvert, were 

 given from men who used tlie roots in practice. 



PROPERTIES. The root alone is medical; it is 

 bitter and nauseous, has never been analyzed, and is 

 commonly used in warm decoction as purgative and 



