194 .XXV. ELATINACE^. 



2. P. piLOSA, /?. Scarletr-fiaioered Purdane. — Sts. ascending, much branched ; 

 branches suberect, enlarged upwards; Ivs. linear, obtuse, the axils villose with 

 long, woolly hairs; fls. terminal, sessile, 1 or ie.w together, surrounded by an 

 irregular circle of leaves and dense tufts of wool ; pet. obovate ; sta. about 15. — 

 A very delicate plant, with purple stems, and large, bright purple flowers. — 

 P. australis, with broader leaves and scarlet fls. is also popular in house cul- 

 tivation. The species are mostly natives of S. Africa, f 



2. CLAYTONIA.. 



i. In memory of John Clayton, a botanist of Virginia. 



^Sfepals 2, ovate or roundish; petals 5, emargiuate or obtuse; sta- 

 mens 5, inserted on the claws of the petals ; stigmas 3-cleft ; capsulo 

 3-valved, 2 — 5-seeded. — Smalljjleskp, delicate, eaiiy-Jlowering jdants. 



J A. C. Carolinian'a. Michx. Spring Deauty. 



Ijvs. ovate-lanceolate ; scp. and pet. obtuse ; rt. tuberous. — %. A delicate 

 little plant, flowering in April, cojnmon in woods and rocky hills. Can. to N. 

 Car. W. to the Miss. Root a compressed, brown tubercle, buried at a depth in 

 the ground, equal to the height of the plant. Root-leaves very few, if any, 

 spatulate. Stem weak, 2 — 3' high, with a pair of opposite leaves halt-way up, 

 which are 1 — 2' by \ — f, entire, tapering at base into the petiole. Flowers in 

 a terminal cluster, white, with a slight tinge of red, and beautifully penciled 

 with purple lines. Apr. May. 



2. C. ViRGiNiCA. Virginian Spring Beauty. 



Ias. linear, or lance-linear; $ci>. rather acute; pet. obovate, mostly 

 emarginate or retuse ; pcd. slender, nodding. — %. In low, moist grounds. Mid. 

 and S. States. W. to Mo., Everett ! ra.ve in N. Eng. Tubercle or cormus as 

 •arge as a liazelnut, deep in the ground. Stem 6 — 10' long, weak, with a pair 

 of opposite, very narrow leaves 3 — 5' long. Flowers 5 — 10, rose-colored, with 

 deeper colored veins, iji a terminal cluster. Sepals acute or obtuse. Petals 

 often elliptical, subacute. Apr. May. 



3. T A L I N U M. Adans. 



Sepals 2, ovate, concave, deciduous ; petals 5, sessile ; stamens 10 

 — 20, inserted with the petals into the torus ; style trifid ; capsule 

 subglobose, 3-valved, many-seeded. 



1. T. TERETIFOLIUM. 



St. simple or branched, short and thick; Ivs. terete, subulate, crowded at 

 the summit of the stem, on short branches; ped. elongated; Jis. in a dichoto- 

 mous c>mie; pet. purple. — 7J. An interesting little plant, on rocks, Penn. Dr. 

 Darlington ! to Ark. Rhizoma or perennial stem firm and fleshy, with fibrous 

 roots. Branches 1 — 3' long. Leaves I — 2' long, incuived, fleshy. Bractsovate- 

 lanceolate, minute. Peduncles 5 — 8' high. Flowers small, ephemeral. Sta- 

 mens about 20. Jn. — Aug. 



2. T. PATENS. — Spreading-Jluwered Tuliniim. — St. erect or decumbent at base 

 slmder; Ivs. ovate, flat, fleshy; panicle terminal, with spreading, dichotomous 

 peduncles. — '1|. Native in S. America. A handsome plant, sometimes cultivat- 

 ed. Stem 1 — 2f high, round, purple, terminating in a naked, .spreading pani- 

 cle of small purple flowers. Leaves 2—3' long, tapering to the base. Aug. — Oct 



Order XXV. ELATINACE^.— Water Peppers. 



Ilerhs small, annual, with opposite leaves and membranaceous stipules. Fl£. minute, ajcillary. 



Ca;.— Sepals 2—5, distinct or ."ilighUy colierent at base, persistent. 



Cor.— Petals hyposynous, as many as the scpab. 



f^ta. equal in number to, or twice as many as the petals. Anth. introrae. 



Ova. 2— 6-ceUed. Stlffiiias 2—5, capitate ; placentae in the a.xis. 



F/-. capsular. Seeds numeroas. 



Genera 6, species M, foimd iji every pajt of the globe, growin" in marshes. The following is the onh 

 uoithem genus : 



