DICOTYLEDONS. 61 



II. ARISTOLOCHIA. 



Erect or twining perennial herbs or woody vines ; leaves 

 alternate, cordate at the base, palmately nerved, petiolate. 

 entire ; flowers irregular, solitary or in small clusters ; calyx 

 more or less adherent to the ovary, tubular, irregular ; sta- 

 mens mostly 6, sessile, adnate to the angled and fleshy 3-G- 

 lobed or angled stigma ; capsule naked, 6-valved, seeds very 

 numerous. 



1, A. Serpentaria L. Virginia Snakeroot. Stem erect, 

 branching, pubescent, 10-18 in. high ; leaves short-petioled, ovate to 

 linear-lanceolate, cordate or hastate at the base, thin, smooth; louer 

 leaves scale-like ; flowers near the base of the stem on bracted pedun- 

 cles ; calyx tubular, bent like the letter S, inflated below, then con- 

 tracted, again enlarging at the throat, limb short, spreading, 3-lobed, 

 dull purple ; anthers in pairs ; capsule subglobose, ridged. June- 

 July. Rich, shady woods. The aromatic-stinudant root often used 

 in medicine. 



2. A. tomentosa Sims. Dutchman's Pipe. Stem woody, 

 climbing high, branches and leaves tomentose ; leaves cordate, 

 prominently veined, 3-5 in. long and broad; flowers axillary, mostly 

 solitary, on slender peduncles ; calyx bent in the shape of a \nx>e, 

 yellowish-green with a dark purple throat, limb unequally 3-lobed, 

 rugose, reflexed ; anthers in pairs l)elow the 3 spreading lobes of tlie 

 stigma; capsule oblong. April-May. Stems sometimes 30 feet 

 long. 



31. POLYGONACEiE. BrCKWIIKAT FA:\ITLY. 



Herbs, shrubs, or trees ; loaves simple, usually entire and 

 alternate, but sometimes 0})j)0site ; stipules commonly mem- 

 branaceous, and sheathing the swollen joints of the stem, but 

 sometimes wanting; flowers small, perfect, mono'cious or 

 ditecious; calyx of 2-0 se])als which are often nu)re or b'ss 

 united, sometimes petal-like and ])ersistent ; {x'tals nonr ; 

 stamens 4-12, inserted on the base of the calyx; ovary 

 single, l-C(dl«Ml, styles or stigmas 2 .") ; fruit a lenticidar or 

 3-an<d('d aclifuc 



