96 CLASS OCTANDRIA. 



swamps. They are herbs, branching only to flower, 

 with opposite, rough-haired, entire, strongly nerved 

 leaves, and flowers in cymes ; with rather brilliant red, 

 but fugaceous petals. The calyx is urceolate or urn- 

 shaped, with a 4 or 5-cleft border. The petals 4, in- 

 serted near the summit of the calyx. The anthers are 

 incumbent or reclined, attached to the filaments be- 

 hind, and naked at the base, opening below. The 

 capsule 4-celled, and free in the enlarged base of the 

 calyx. The receptacle crescent-shaped, and pedicel- 

 late. The seeds small, and numerous. 



The (Enothera, or Tree-primrose, of the natural or- 

 der Onagkari^:, is a genus peculiar to America, of 

 which there are many splendid and curious species in 

 the remote western states and territories of the United 

 States. Their flowers are commonly yellow or white, 

 and all of them vespertine, or opening in the evening 

 after sunset. They will be easily known by their 

 very constant generic character, which consists in a 

 tubular 4-cleft calyx ; the segments, though deflected 

 and deciduous, constantly adhere at the points. The 

 petals are 4, and generally large. The stigma 4-cleft ; 

 capsule 4-celled, 4-valved. The seeds naked, affixed 

 to a central, 4-sided receptacle. 



From this genus Gaura is to be distinguished by 

 having commonly 4 ascending petals, and a quadran- 

 gular, 1 or few-seeded nut; and Epilobium or Wil- 

 low-herb bears commonly red flowers, and has the pe- 

 culiarity of producing downy tufted or comose seeds. 



The Oxycoccus, or Cranberry, of the order Vacci- 

 nes, differs principally from the genus Vaccinium in 

 the deduction of a 5th part of the organs of the flow- 

 er having a superior calyx of 4 teeth ; a corolla with 

 only 4 parts, the segments linear and revolute. The 

 anthers are connivent into a cone, so long as to appear 

 tubular, and 2-parted, emitting the pollen from the 



