482 LYTHRACEiE. Decodos. 



the flowers. — L. virgatum ? Waif. Car.j}- 120. L. lanceolatum, Ell. sk. 1. 

 p. 544 ; DC. ! I. c. 



y. leaflets lanceolate, closely sessile ; the upper ones linear, mostly oppo- 

 site, about the length of the flowers. 



<!. leaves lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, the upper ones much longer than 

 the flowers. 



Wet places. Upper Canada ! to Louisiana ! and Arkansas ; but not in the 

 New England States, y. Te\afi, Drummond ! Arkansas, Dr. James! July- 

 Aug. — Stem 2-5 feet high. Flowers numerous, rather large. — A very va- 

 riable species, at least in the leaves, which extends into Mexico, and has 

 probably been described under several names. 



3. L. Californicum : perennial, much branched ; the branches quadrangu- 

 lar, with slightly margined angles ; leaves linear, sessile, obtuse, nearly all 

 alternate, those of the branches small, linear, about the length of the distinctly 

 pedicellate flowers ; bracteoles 1-2, minute ; calyx clavate-oblong, 12-striate; 

 the teeth very short and broad, the accessory ones obsolete ; petals (violet- 

 purple) and stamens 6. — L. lineare, Hook. S^ Am.! bat. Beechey, suppl. p. 

 343, not oi Linn. 



California, Douglas ! — Flowers nearly as large as in L. alatum ; the pe- 

 dicels, in fruit, about half the length of the calyx. Leaves nearly opaque. 



4. L. lineare (Linn.) : perennial ; stem slender, virgate, branched at the 

 summit, somewhat 4-angled, two or four of the angles slightly margined ; 

 leaves linear, opaque, mostly opposite ; the lower ones obtuse ; the upper 

 narrow, acute, scarcely longer than the slightly pedicellate flowers ; brac- 

 teoles minute ; cal3rx obscure!}^ striate ; the teeth triangular, shorter than the 

 erect accessory processes ; petals (nearly white) and stamens 6. — Linn. ! 

 spec. l.p. 447 ,- Michx. ! fl.l.p. 280 ; Ell. sk. l.p. 545 ; DC.! prodr. 3. 

 p. 81. 



Brackish swamps, New Jersey ! to Florida and Louisiana. July-Sept. — 

 Stem 3-4 feet high. Leaves slightly succule-nt. Flowers small. 



§ 2. Stamens twice the number of the petals : flowers numerous, and (by the re- 

 duction of the leaves to bracts) someichat verticillate in an interrupted virgate 

 spike. — Salicaria, DC. 



5. L. Salicaria (Linn.) : leaves lanceolate, cordate at the base ; flowers 

 (large) nearly sessile, in a long spike ; petals (purple) 6-7. — Engl. bot. t. 

 1061; DC. prodr. 3. p. 82; Hook. ! fl. Bor.-Am. l.jj. 219. L. Salicaria 

 0. pubescens, Pursh,fl. l.p; 334. Salicaria spicata. Lam. ill. t. 408./. 1. 



Wet meadows, Canada! Maine! and Massachusetts! probably native. 

 July-Aug. — The American plant, like the European, is sometimes very pu- 

 bescent, but often only slightly so. — Loosestrife. 



4. DECODON. Gmel. syst.p. 677 ; Ell. sk. I. p. 543; DC. prodr. 3. p. 90. 



Calyx short, broadly campanulate, not bracteolate at the base, with 5 erect 

 teeth, and 5 accessory elongated spreading horn-like processes. Stamens 10; 

 those ■ opposite the proper teeth of the calyx very long, the alternate ones 

 somewhat included. Style filiform : stigma small. Capsule globose, in- 

 cluded in the calyx. Seeds numerous, minute, wingless. — A perennial herb, 

 with recurved or reclining stems, and opposite or verticillate lanceolate entire 

 leaves, on short petioles. Flowers axillary, purple : peduncle very short. 



