Hydrangea. LXV. SAXlFRAGACEiE. iiBl 



stolons creeping. — Common in ro(?ky woods Can. to Penn., and f^enerally asso- 

 ciated witli Mitdla (iiplujlhi^ wliich plant, in its general aspect, it much resem- 

 bles. Tlie scape arises I'roiu a creeping root-stock about 10' high, often bear- 

 ing a leaf. Leaves 2— 3' long, -f- as wide, hairy, and on hairy petioles 4 — 6' 

 long. Racemes 1 — 2.i' long; lis, wholly white, with minute bracts. May, Jn. 



(J. CHRYSOSPLENIUM. Tourn. 



Gr. ^pvaos, Rold, (Tir\riv, the spleen ; on account of the medicinal qualities. 



Calyx adiiate to tlie ovary, 4 — 5-lobed, more or less colored inside ; 

 corolla ; stameus 8 — 10, superior, short ; styles 2 ; capsule obcor- 

 date, compressed, 1 -celled, 2-valved, maiiy-secded. — Small, aqiiatic 

 herbs. 



C. Amkricancm. Schw. (C. oppositifolium. Michx.) Watci-carprl. 



Lis. opposite, roundish, slightly crenate, tapering to the petiole. — A small 

 plant, in springs and streams, .spreading upon the muddy surface. vStem square, 

 3 — 6 inches long, divided in a dichotomous manner at top. Leaves opposite, 

 i' in length, smooth. Calyx 4-clett, greenish-yellow, with purple lines. Corol- 

 la 0. Stamens 8, very short, with orange-colored anthers, which are the only 

 conspicuous part of the flower. The terminal flower is sometimes decandrous. 

 Apr. May. 



Suborder 2.— E SCAL.IiONIE^. 



7. I T E A . 



Gr. name for the willow ; from a resemblance of foliage. 



Calyx small, with 5, subulate segments ; petals 5, lance-linear, m- 

 flexed at the apex, inserted on the calyx ; stamens 5, inserted into 

 the calyx ; styles united ; capsule 2-celled, 2-furrowed, 8 — 12-seeded. 

 — A shrub icith alternate.^ simple leaves^ and a simple^ spicaie, terminal 

 raceme of white jlowers. 



\. VlRGINlCA. • 



Margins of swamps and sluggish streams, N. J. and Penn. to Flor. 

 Shrub about 6f high. Leaves \\ — 3' long, oval-acuminate, serrulate, on short 

 petioles. Capsule oblong, acuminate with the style, its two carpels separating 

 in maturity. May, Jn. 



Suborder. 3.— H YDRAXGE^. 



Petals valvate. Capsules 2-celled. Leaves opposite, exstipulate. Shrubs. 

 8. HYDRANGEA. 



Gl . vSoip, water, ayytov, a vessel; because the cultivated species require so copious a supply of water. 



Marginal flowers commonly sterile, with a broad, rotate, 4 — 5-cleft 

 colored calyx, and with neither petals, stamens nor styles. Fertile Ji. 

 Calyx tube hemispherical, adherent to the ovary, limb 4 — 5-toothed 

 persistent ; petals ovate, sessile ; stamens twice as many as the petals ; 

 capsule 2-beaked, opening by a foramen between the beaks ; seeds 

 numerous. — Shrubs icith opposite leaves. Fls. q/mose, generally/ radiant. 

 1. H. ARBOREscENs. (H. vulgaris. Michx.) Omwwn Hiidrangea. 

 Lvs. ovate, obtuse or cordate at base, acuminate, serrate-dentate, nearly 

 smooth ; ffs. in fastigiate cymes. — An elegant shrub, native in the Middle and 

 Western States ! cultivated in the Northern, attaining the height of 5 or 6f on 

 its native shady banks. Fertile flowers small, white, becoming roseate, very 

 numerous. The cultivated varieties have either the marginal flowers radiate, 

 or all sterile and radiate, f 



2. H. auERCiF0Li.\. Bartram. Oak-leaved Hydrangea. — Lvs. deeply sinuate- 

 lobed, dentate, tomentose beneath ; cyvics paniculate, radiant, the sterik /hnrers 

 very large and numerous.— A beautiful shrub, native of Flor., not uncommon 



