HYDROPHYLLACE^— WATER-LEAF 



FAMILY 



y 



HYDROPHYLLUM. VIRGINIA WATER-LEAF 



Hydrophyllum Virginicum 



From the Greek, hydor, water, and phyllon, leaf, but 

 the allusion is not evident. 



Perennial. Moist, shady places in rich soil. From 

 Quebec to Alaska, south to South Carolina, Kansas, and 

 Washington. Frequent in northern Ohio. May. 



Rootstocks. — Creeping, scaly. 



Stems. — Slender, twelve to eighteen inches high, grow- 

 ing in clusters, often branched at the base. 



Leaves. — Alternate; lower and basal leaves long- 

 petioled, pinnately cut into five or seven segments which 

 are oval or lanceolate, acute, sharply toothed or cut; 

 upper leaves short-petioled with fewer segments. 



Flowers. — Pale violet-purple or white with violet veins, 

 borne in cymose clusters or one-sided racemes, coiled and 

 forking. 



Calyx. — Deeply five-parted, the segments narrow- 

 lanceolate, fringed with long white hairs. 



Corolla. — Tubular bell, five-lobed, with five linear honey- 

 scales within, alternating with the lobes. 



Stamens. — Five, inserted on the base of the corolla, 

 extending far beyond the corolla; filaments white, 

 bearded; anthers linear-oblong, dark in color. 



Pistil. — One; style threadlike; stigma two-cleft. 



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