Lechea. CISTACEiE. 153 



pie. Leaves exstipulatc, entire, alternate, opposite, or vcrticillaie (often on 

 the same specimen), sessile or slightly peliolcd, minutely puncticulate. 



An American genus; L. verticillata, If't/W. being a species of Elaline, according 

 to Wight and Arnott. 



§ 1. PlacentcB membranaceo-crustaccous, fragile, separating from the 

 very thin dissepiments ; the margins revolute ^ enveloping the seed. 

 (Lechea, Spach.) 



1. L. major (Michx.) : stem erect, hairy ; youno; branches villous, the rad- 

 ical ones prostrate and tufted ; cauline leaves elliptical, mucronulate ; those 

 of the radical branches roundish and very small ; of the floral branches lan- 

 ceolate; flowers very numerous, densely clustered in short unilateral ra- 

 cemes ; pedicels very short ; capsule depressed-globose and somewhat 3-sid- 

 ed.— Mc/w./ /?. I. p. 76; Muhl cat. p. 15; Pursh ! fi. 1. p. 90; Bigel.fl. 

 Bost.pAl; Torr.i. fl. \. p. 160, not of Linn, (which is an apetalous lorm 

 of Hclianthemum Canadense.) L. minor, Linn, amoen. acad. 3. p. 10, ex 

 Smith, in liees, cycl. L. villosa. Ell. sk. 1. p. 184 ; DC. prodr. 1. p. 285 ; 

 Beck, bot. p. 30 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 96. L. Drummondii, Spach, in 

 compan. to bot. mag. 1. p. 284'? 



In dry woods, &c., Canada ! to Florida, and west to the Mississippi. July- 

 Sept. — Stem 1-2 feet high, stout, much branched above. Radical branches 

 slender; the small leaves much crowded or lascicled, villous with white 

 hairs, especially on the margins and midrib. Cauline leaves also often 

 crowded, opposite or alternate, occasionally verticillate. Flowers and cap- 

 sules much smaller than in L. minor. Seeds oval. — We think it preferable, 

 as well as more in accordance with the rules of nomenclature, to retairi the 

 name L. major for this species ; since it is not only the generally received, 

 but the oldest name, the Linnjean plant, as also the figure of Lamarck, being 

 excluded ; unless indeed we follow Smith, and call the largest species of the 

 genus L. minor. 



2. L. thymifolia (Pursh): frutescent; stems decumbent at the base, 

 densely and paniculately branched above, canescently villous (especially the 

 branches) Avith white appressed hairs ; leaves very numerous and often ver- 

 ticillate; cauline ones oblanceolate or linear; those of the short procumbent 

 and very villous radical branches imbricated, elliptical, very small ; those of 

 the floriferous branches narrowly linear, Avith revolute margins, erect and 

 crowded; clusters terminal and axillary near the extremity of the simple 

 floriferous branches, 2-6-flowered ; pedicels very short; calyx tomentose- 

 canescent ; capsule globose. — Pursh, fl. 1. p. 91 ; Smith, in Pees, cycl. 7 ; 

 Toj^\ ! fl. 1. p. 161, not oi Michx. 



In sand on the sea-coast, Massachusetts ! and Long Island ! to Virginia, 

 &c. July-Sept. — Stem stout, a foot high, branched above in a pyramidal 

 manner ; the branches often verticillate, short and simple, leafy to the sum- 

 mit. — Intermediate in some respects between L. major &. L. minor, but more 

 nearly allied to the former. 



3. L. minor (Lam.) : stem erect, minutely pubescent with appressed 

 hairs; radical branches procumbent and hairy, or often none; leaves linear, 

 the cauline ones often somewhat oblong; scattered or sometimes verticillate; 

 racemes nearly simple; the flowers on distinct often appressed pedicels; 

 capsules ovoid-globose. — Lam., ill. t. 52./ 1 ?; Pursh, fl. 1. p. 91 ; Bigel.fl. 

 Bost.p. 48; Torr.! fl. l.p. 161; Hook.fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 73; Darlingt. 

 fl. Cest. p. 97, not of Linn. & Smith. L. racemulosa, thymifolia, and tenui- 



folia, Michx. ! I.e. 

 a. stem tall and slender, simple or paniculately branched above j radical 



20 



