PRIMULACEAE. 221 



Family PRIMULACEAE. PpniuosE Family. 



Herbs, various in habit. Leaves alternate, opposite, or whorled, 

 sometimes all basal : blades entire, toothed, or rarely dissected. Flowers 

 perfect. Calyx of 4-9 partially united sepals, commonly persistent. 

 Corolla of 4r-9 partially united petals, or rarely wanting. Androecium of 

 as many stamens as there are sepals and alternate with them, sometimes 

 with staminodia. Gynoecium a single pistil, with centi'al placentae. Style 

 single. Fruit a 1-eelled 2-8-valved capsule. 



Ovary superior. 



Corolla-lobes erect or merely spreading: anthers not sagittate. 



Plants with a whorl of leaf-like bracts subtending the inflorescence : corolla 



white. 1. Trientalis. 



Plants without a whorl of bracts subtending the inflo- 

 rescence : corolla colored. 

 Capsule opening lengthwise, not nodding. 



Androecium without staminodia : filaments united 



below the middle : anthers ovoid. 2. Lysimachia. 



Androecium with staminodia : filaments distinct or 



essentially so : anthers linear. 3. Steironema. 



Capsule clrcumscissile, nodding, 4. Anagallis. 



Corolla-lobes reflexed : anthers sagittate. 5. Dodecatheon. 



Ovary half-inferior. 6. Samolus. 



1. TKIENTAIjIS L. Perennial caulescent herbs vv'ith slender rootstocks. 

 Leaves mostly reduced to minute scales on the scape-liie stem. Flowers soli- 

 tary or clustered at the top of the stem, slender-pedicelled, subtended by a 

 whorl of leaf-like bracts. Calyx-lobes narrow. Corolla rotate: lobes much 

 longer than the tube. Filaments slender. Anthers narrow, curved. Capsule 

 short. 



1. T. horealis Eaf. Plants 5-2-5 cm. tall, slender: leaves (scales) remote, 

 mostly 2-8 mm. long : bracts leaf -like, 5-10 ; blades elliptic to elliptic-lanceo- 

 late, 3-10 cm. long, acuminate at both ends: pedicels filiform, 2-5 cm. long: 

 sepals linear: corolla 1.5-2 cm. wide; lobes oblong or elliptic, acuminate: cap- 

 sules 3— i mm. in diameter. - — ■ S. Rare, in woods near "Wakefield. — Schists. — 

 Spr. — Star-flower. Chickweed-wintergreen. 



2. LYSIMACHIA [Tourn.] L. Perennial or rarely annual herbs, the 

 foliage glandular-punctate. Leaves opposite or apparently whorled. Corolla 

 yellow, rotate or nearly so : lobes entire, acute or obtuse. Filaments partially 

 united. Staminodia wanting. Anthers ovoid. — Sum. — Loosestrife. 



Calyx-lobes ovate : stem and branches creeping. 1. L. Nummnlaria. 



Calyx-lobes lanceolate, oblong-lanceolate or linear : stems erect. 

 Flowers in a terminal raceme, the racemes sometimes leafy 

 bracted : corolla streaked. 

 Inflorescence extending nearly the length of the plant : 



flowers axillary to leaf-like bracts. 2. L. quadrifolia. 



Inflorescence a terminal virgate raceme : flowers axillary 



to small bracts. 3. L. tcrrcstris. 



Flowers in a terminal panicle : corolla without dots or 



streaks. 4. L. ridf/aris. 



1. L. Nummularia L. Stem and branches 1-7 dm. long: leaf -blades sub- 

 orbicular, 0.8-3 cm. long: calyx-lobes ovate, 8-9 mm. long, cordate at the base: 

 corolla-lobes 11-14 mm. long, obovate to ovate: capsules about 4 mm. thick. 

 — Common, on moist banks, and about gardens. Nat. of Eu. — Moneywort. 



2. L. quadrifolia L. Stem 2-9 dm. tall: leaf -blades lanceolate to oval, 1.5-9 

 cm. long: pedicels shorter than the bracts: calyx-lobes lanceolate, 5-6 mm. 

 long, acuminate: corolla-lobes oblong to ovate-oblong, exceeding the calyx: 

 capsules 2.5-3 mm. thick. — Common, in thickets and woods. 



