N. ORD.—GENTIANACE-. 129 
Tribe.—MENYANTHEA. 
GENUS.—MEN YANTHES,* TOURN. 
SEX. SYST.—PENTANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
MENYAN THES. 
BUCK BEAN. 
SYN.—MENYANTHES TRIFOLIATA, LINN.; MENYANTHES VERNA, RAF. ; 
TRIFOLIUM PALUDOSUM, GER.; TRIFOLIUM FIBRINUM, G. PH. 
COM. NAMES.—BUCK BEAN, BOG BEAN, MARSH TREFOIL, MARSH CLO- 
VER, WATER SHAMROCK, BITTER ROOT; (FR.) MENYANTHE TREFLE, 
TREFLE D’EAU; (GER.) BACHSBOHNE, BITTERKLEE, FIEBERKLEE. 
A TINCTURE OF THE WHOLE FRESH PLANT MENYANTHES TRIFOLIATA, LINN. 
Description.— This beautiful bog perennial is characterized as follows: Root- 
stalk horizontal, creeping, long, thick, sub-cylindrical, and conspicuously marked by 
the remains of the sheaths of previous petioles; vooés long, at first stout and sim- 
ple, then attenuated and greatly branched. Leaves alternate, trifoliate, midribs 
very prominent and conspicuously pale; fefo/es long and thick at the base, where 
they are surrounded by large membranaceous sheathing bracts ; leaflets oval or 
oblong, situated at the summit of the petiole; margins entire, or sometimes slightly 
crenate or obscurely serrate. /uflorescence a simple, terminal, pyramidal raceme; 
scape naked, arising from the axils of the previous year’s leaves; dracts ovate, 
membraneous, obtuse, shorter than the pedicels ; flowers 10 to 15, white or pinkish. 
Calyx persistent, much shorter than the corolla; 46 5-parted, the segments 
oblong-obtuse. Corol/a deciduous, infundibuliform ; 4é 5-parted, spreading, its 
whole upper surface densely bearded; e@stivation induplicate. Stamens scarcely 
one-half the length of the corolla; azthers oblong, sagittate. Style slender, per- 
sistent, somewhat exserted ; ségma capitate, 2-lobed. Fruit a 1-celled, ovoid cap- 
sule; Zericarp thin, pale brown; dehiscence irregular, but more or less loculicidal ; 
Placente in the middle of the valves. Seeds numerous, minute; ¢esta hard, rough, 
and shiny. | | le 
Gentianaceze.—A large order of smooth herbs, having a colorless, bitter juice, 
and scattered throughout all portions of the globe. Leaves generally opposite, 
sessile, and entire (Exc. Menyanthez); s#pules wanting. Jnflorescence solitary, 
cymose or racemose ; flowers regular and showy. Calyx persistent; corolla mar- 
cescent, funnel- or salver-form. Séamens as many as the lobes of the corolla, and 
inserted upon its tube. Styles united or absent ; stigmas 2-lobed. Ovary 1-celled 
* Mnviav6os, wshvn, mene, month; 460s, anthos, flower; from its reputed power in promoting menstrustion. oes 
