MENYANTHACE^— BUCKBEAN FAMILY 



BUCKBEAN. MARSH-TREFOIL 



Menydnthes trifoUdta 



The ancient name probably from men, month, and anthos, 

 flower; some say from the length of its flowering period, 

 which is about a month. 



A perennial swamp herb, bearing in early spring sprays 

 of beautiful white flowers and three-parted leaves. New 

 England, Pennsylvania, and farther north and west. Not 

 reported in Ohio. May. 



Rootstock. — Thick, creeping, running horizontally a con- 

 siderable distance. 



Leaves. — Ternately divided, on long petioles which are 

 sheathed at the base; leaflets oval or oblong. 



Flowers. — White or slightly reddish bells, borne in a 

 raceme on a naked scape a foot high. 



Calyx. — Five-parted, shorter than the corolla. 



Corolla. — Short, funnel-form, bearded within wath white 

 hairs, the border five-cleft and spreading. 



Pistil. — Ovary, one-celled; style exserted, persistent; 

 stigma two-lob ed. 



Fruit. — Many-seeded capsule. 



Professor William W. Bailey, writing of New Eng- 

 land fio^vers, reports as follows: 



''A very beautiful flower, common to both hemi- 

 spheres, is in the month of May often found in our 

 swamps. It is the Buckbean or Menydnthes, a member 

 of the gentian family. It has long, subaqueous root- 



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