MfHRUM, ICOSANDRIA. MONOGYNIA. 471 



315. LYTHRUM. L. 



Calyx tubular-campanulate, 6— 12-toothccl. Petah 

 6, equal, inserted upon the calycx. Capsule 2— 4-cell- 

 ed, many-seeded. Geju pL 825. Nutt. Gen. I. p. 

 303. Ju s s. p. 332. Lam. III. t. 408. Nat. Ord. 

 Salicari^e Juss. Stamens 8 — 12, in two rows. 

 Loosestrife. — Milk- Wxlloiv -herb, 



* Calyx subcam/ianuiatej Id-toothed; ca/isule 3—4-celled. 



Decodox. Ginelin, 



1. la. verlicil latum L. : pubescent; leaves opposite and 

 ternate, lanceolate, jictiolate ; flowers axillary, verlicillate, 

 decandrous; petals undulate; fruil subglobose. W il I d. 

 Spec. II. p. 86G. 3Jich. Fl. I. p. 281. Pursh Fl. 1. 

 p. 334. Big. BosL^.WA. J^ u 1 1. Gen. ]. p. 333. De- 

 CODON aqitaticum Gmel, Syst. II. p. 677. D. verticiilatum 

 Elliott Sk. I. p. 544. Anonymos aquatica Walt, Car. 

 p. 137. Anonyma foliis terni?. C old. Novtb. 97. 



Root perennial. Stevi herbaceous or suffruticose, about 2 feet 

 higli, hexangular, recurved, and sometimes taking root at the 

 extremities. Leaves broadly-lanceolate, attenuate at each 

 extremity, very entire; the lower verticillate, by threes; 

 the upper opposite. Flowers in short axillary corymbs, 

 crowded, and appearint^ verticillate. Calyx campanulate, co- 

 loured, mostly 10-toothed ; 5 of the teeth long, subulate, at 

 length inflexed ; the other 5 short, ovate. Petals 5 — 6, pur- 

 ple, oblong, unguiculate, inserted into the calyx at the base of 

 its longer teeth. Scametis 10 — 12, half of tlipm as long again 

 as the corolla, and inserted at the base of the short teeth of the 

 calyx ; the other half shorter, and inserted lower down ; an- 

 thers roundish, didymous. Style long, filiform ; stigma ob- 

 tuse. Ca/isule subglobose, usually 3-cclIcd. Seeds angular, 

 5 — 8 in each cell. 



Hab. In swamps ; not uncommon. August. Grass-fioly. 



* * Calyx tubular; ca/isule 2-celled. 



2. L. Salicaria /?. puhescens Ph. : pubescent ; leaves op- 

 posite and ternate, sessile, lanceolate, cordate at the base ; 

 tilowers with 12 stamens, terminal, verticillate-spiked ; cap- 

 sule oblong. PurshFl,\.ip.33A. 



About 2 feet high. Flowers purple, very showy. Pli. 



Hab. In wet meadows. Canada and New-England. Pursh. 

 Among the numerous specimens of plants I have received 

 from various parts of New-England, I have never seen one of 

 this ; nor has it been found in North-America, to my know- 

 ledge, by any other Botanist except Pursh. 



