84 roi.YGALAci;.E. (milkwort family.) 



10. p. incarnata, L. Stem often simple, rrlaucous ; leaves scattered, lin- 

 ear, fleshy, sometiiiKS minute and subulate ; spikes lanceolate, acute, dense- 

 flowered ; petals united into a tube which is twice as lon^ as the elliptical 

 wings, conspicuously crested ; curundc spongy, as long as the stalk of the 

 oval iiairy seed — Dry sandy soil, Florida to Mississip[)i, and noithward. June 

 -August. — Stem l°-2° high. Bracts deciduous. Flowers and often tlic rachis 

 purple. 



11. P. SCtacea, Michx. Stems simple or sparingly hrnnchcd, slender; 

 leaves minute, scale-like; spikes oblong, dense-flowered, acute ; wings oblong, 

 acute, as long as the petals ; caruncle and seeds as in No. 10. — Low pine bar- 

 rens, Florida to North Carolina, and westward. May- July. — Stem 1° higL 

 Spikes ^'-1' long. Flowers pale rose-color or whitish. Bracts deciiluous. 



* * * Spi/ces solitary : leaves whorled: flowers purple. 



12. P. cruciata, L. Stem erect, 4-angled, simple or branched; leaves 

 in fours, linear or oblong-linear, thick, obtuse, the upper ones alteniate ; spikea 

 large, ovate, becoming cylindrical, short-peduncled ; wings ovate, tapering into 

 along subulate point ; lobes of the caruncle linear, collateral, as long as the 

 smootliish oval seed. — Pine-barren swamps, Florida to ^Mississippi, and north- 

 ward. July - Oct. — Stem 6' - 12' high. Spikes 1' - 2' long, \' thick. Flowers 

 pale rose-color. Bracts persistent. 



13. P. brevifolia, Nutt. Stem weak, 4-anglcd, ^\^th long and spreading 

 branches; leaves tliin, lanceolate or linear, acute, the lower ones in fours; spikes 

 small, ovate, long-peduncled ; wings lanceolate-ovate, barely pointed ; caruncle 

 as long as the obovatc hairy seed. — Bogs, Florida and northward. July- 

 Oct. — Stem \°- I j° long. Spikes scarcely half i\s large as in the preceding. 

 Flowers rcildish-purjjle. Bracts persistent. 



14. P. riookcri, Torr. & Gray. Stems short, weak, much branched, 4- 

 angled ; leaves in fours, short, linear, acutish ; spikes long-pcdunclcd, ovate- 

 lanceolate, acimiinatc, loose-flowered ; wings erect, lanceolate-ovate, acute ; 

 caruncle as long as the ovoid sparse-hairy and viscid seed. — Low grassy 

 pine barrens, Vrcst Florida and westward. July -Sept. — Stems 6'- 10' high. 

 Leaves 4" - C" long ; those of the branches mostly alternate. Flowers pulo 

 rose-color. Bracts persistent. 



§ 2. Flowers m slender racemis or spikes. 

 * Ijiaves alternate: perennials or biennials. 



15. P. gl'andiflora, Walt. Pubescent; stems branching ; leaves lanceo- 

 late; flowers large, crcstlcss, scattered in long racemes; fruiting pcdiitls droop- 

 ing ; wings large, orbicular, erect ; caruncle enclosing the stalk of the oblong 

 hairy seed. (1*. jjubescens, Mnhl.) — Varies with smootliish linear leaves, and 

 smaller flowers. (]'. flabellata, Shuttl.) — Dry light soil, Florida to South Tiir- 

 olina, and westward. July- Sept. IJ. — Stem 1° high. Hiiceines .T- (>' long, 

 often lateral by the prolongation of the btcm. Flowei-s bright purple, turning 

 grecni>li. 



10. P. polygama, Walt. Smooth; stems numcron<, simple; leaves 

 oblong-linear, l!ie lowest spatulatc or ol)ovate ; tlywcrs of iwo kinds, viz. one 



