LvTimuM. LYTHRACEiE. 481 



and Southern States. Aug.-Sept. — Tliis species in thcNorlliern States does 

 not exceed 6 to 10 inches in heiiihi. We have seen no Southern six-eiuicns 

 of our var. 0. wliich in New Jersey grows in company wilii the A. iiiiiiiihs 

 ofMichaux, and the two appear to pass into each otiier. Linnaus cstnh- 

 lishcd his A. r.amosior wholly upon Clayton's plant, which is clearly ihc A. 

 humilis, Mich.v. ; hut sul)se(|uenl!y (in the Mantissa) he totally changed hoth 

 the character and description, and addnces llie synonj'in of Clayton wiili a 

 mark of doubt. We cannot certainly determine whether the ])lant whicli 

 Linn;pus lastly had in view, is our variety of the present species (in which 

 case his name, though not very ai)])licahle, should be retained), or his own A. 

 latifolia. The latter is far most j)robable ; since he states the flowers to be 

 three in each axil, and the style to be longer than the ovary. Hence, to 

 avoid confusion, we are obliged to suppress the name A. ramosior, Linn. 

 — Elliott was certainly mistaken in supposing the calyx to cohere with the 

 ovary. In the plant from Oregon, the lower leaves are sometimes alternate, 

 and the upper 3 togetlier. 



3. LYTHRUM. Linn, (partly) ; .Juss. gen. p. 332. 



Calyx cylindrical, striate ; teeth short, 4-6, usually with as many minute 

 intermediate teeth or processes. Petals 4-6. Stamens as many or twice as 

 many as the petals, inserted about the middle or near the base of the calyx, 

 nearly equal. Style filiform : stigma capitate. Capsule oblong, 2-celled, 

 many-seeded, enclosed in the cal^^. — Herbs, or rarely suffruticose plants, 

 with opposite or scattered entire leaves, and purplisli or white flowers. 



§ 1. Stamens mostbj equal in number ivith the petals : floivers solitary in the 

 axils of the leaves {glabrous). — Hyssopifolia, DC. (PytJiagorea, Raf.) 



'"" 1. L. Hyssojyifolia (Linn.) : annual; leaves opposite or alternate, linear 

 or oblong, obtuse ; flowers nearly sessUe, shorter than the leaves ; bracteoles 

 minute or none ; calyx obscurely striate ; petals (pale purple) and stamens 

 5_6,— Lm?i. / sjjcc. 1.^.447; Jacq. fl. Austr. t. 133; DC ! prodr. 3. p. 

 81. L. hyssopifolium, Engl. hot. t. 292 ; Bigel.fl. Bosl. ccl. 2. p. IRS. 



In (salt ?) marshes, Massachusetts ! and New York ! July. — Branches 

 quadrangular, very slightly margined. Leaves pale green, somewhat atten- 

 uate or acute at the "base. Flowers small. — This is by no means common 

 in this country, and has perhaps been introduced. A variety of L. alatum 

 is frequently mistaken for it. 



-2. L. alatum (Pursli) : perennial ; stem and branches quadrangular, the 

 angles margined or very slightly winged ; leaves varying from oval or ob- 

 lon^-ovate to lanceolate, mostly' acute ; the lower ones opposite, ternatcly ver- 

 ticiflate, orscattered; those of the virgate branches alternate ; flowers slightly 

 pedicelled or nearly sessile, minutely bibracteolate ; calyx deeply striate or 

 furrowed, the teeth shorter than the at length spreadmg subulate accessory 

 processes ; petals (deep violet-purple) and stamens 6. 



a. leaves slightly cordate at the base, closely sessile ; the upper ones about 

 the length of the flowers. — L. alatum, Pursh! fl. 1. p. 334 ; Nutt. gen. 1. 

 p. 303 ,• Bot. mag. t. 1812 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 545 ; DC. ! prodr. 3. p. 81. L. 

 vulneraria, Schrank. pi. rar. hart. Moriac. I. 27, fide DC. L. Kcnnedyanum, 

 H. B. S^- K. nov. gen. fide DC. 



fi. leaves lanceolate or ellii)tical, mostly opposite or whorled, acute at the 

 base, often a little petioled, the upper ones much crowded , often shorter than 



61 



