RUBIACE£. 



176 MITCHELLA, 



of, because the whole plant, stem, leaves and fruit, being beset with reflexed 

 bristles, adheres to every thing in its way. Stem leaning on other plants. 

 Flowers numerous, small, white. The root will dye red, and when eaten by 

 birds is said to tinge tlieir bones red. Tlie lierb is highly valued and careful- 

 ly stored by the thoughtful house-wife, for sundry medicinal purposes, it being 

 thought to purify the blood and heal cutaneous eruptions. Flowers in June. 

 Annual. Common Cleavers, 



6. G. ciRC^:'zANS. 



Stem^ erect or ascending, smooth; haves in 'Is, oval, acute, smoothish, cili- 

 ate on the margin and nerves ; peduncles few-flowered, divaricate ; fruit hispid 

 with hooked b^ristles. Grows in woods. Stems about a foot in hight, with a 

 few opposite branches near the top. Leaves 1—2 inches long. Flowers on 

 very short, reflexed pedicels, scattered along the (usually 2) branches of the 

 dichotomous peduncle. Fruit covered with litile hooks as in Circasa. The 

 leaves have a sweet taste like Liquorice. Jl. Per. 



Cross-leaved Galium. Wild Liquorice. 



p. lanceohitum (Torr.) ; very smooth; leaves lanceolate, acute, 3-nervcd, 

 margin subciliate ; fruit subsessile, nodding. A fine variety with larger leaves 

 (2 or more inches in length). Flowers purple, in divaricate panicles. Plant 

 a foot high. 



y. moiUanum (Oakes) ; dwarf; leaves obovate. White Mts. T. fy G. 



7. G. triflo'rum. 



S«em weak, procumbent, smoothish, shining; leaves in Gs and Gs, lanceo- 

 late, acuminate-cuspidate, 1-nerved, scarcely ciliate on the margin ; brunches 

 3-flowered at the extremity ; flowers pedicellate, white ; fruit hispid with 

 hooked hairs. Grows in moist thickets. Well distinguished by its trichoto- 

 mous peduncles which are both axillary and terminal. Leaves tapering to 

 the base, often obovate, 1—2 inches long. Flowers greenish-white, small. 

 July Per. Three-flowered Galium. 



8. G. PILO'SUM. 



Stem nearly simple, ascending, hirsute ; leaves in 4s, oval, nerveless, very 

 hirsute both sides and punctate with pellucid dots ; peduncles several times 

 forked, each division about 3-flowered; flowers pedicellate. A rare species 

 found in dry woods and sterile soils. Stem about 1 foot high, acutely 4-ang- 

 led with few short, spreading branches. Leaves an inch or more in length, 

 obtuse, and very hairy as well as the stem and fruit. Flowers purplish white. 

 June. ' Per. ^^'^"'U tfu/twrn. 



SubordekS, CINCHO.XEiE. 



Calyx adherent to the ovary. Leaves opposite {rarely verticillate) , stipulate. 



2. MITCHE'LLA . 

 Flowers 2 on each double ovary ; calyx 4-parted ; corolla 

 funnel-shaped, hairy within ; stanriens 4, short, inserted on the 

 corolla; stigmas 4; berry composed of the 2 united ovaries. 



Name in honor of John Mitchell, an English botanist who traveled in Vir- 

 ginia and wrote certain papers on North American plants. Evergreen herbs, 

 smooth and creeping, with opposite, roundish leaves. 



