PHRYMA LEPTOSTACHYA L., A MORPHOLOGICAL 
STUDY 
THEO. HOLM 
(WITH PLATES VIII-x) 
At an early date placed as the sole member of “Ordo CXLVI: 
Phrymaceae,”* the monotypic genus Phryma has been regarded, 
nevertheless, as representing a mere tribe of the Verbenaceae by. 
BENTHAM and Hooker, and until very recently by all American 
authors. As may be seen from ScCHAUER’S excellent description, 
the structure of the fruit (‘caryopsideus monospermus’’) and of 
the seed (“exalbuminosum, embryon rectum, radicula supera cet.”), 
besides the peculiar calyx (‘superiore [labiol tripartito laciniis subu- 
latis apice reduncis, inferiore [labio] brevissimo bifido’’), these 
characters are much too distinct for admitting the genus among 
Verbenaceae, even as an anomalous genus. For many years the 
family Phrymaceae was thus ignored, until it became reestablished 
by BriqueT’ in a paper dealing with the anatomy of Phrymaceae, 
Stilboideae, Chloanthoideae, etc.; and further, in the treatment by 
this same author in ENGLER and Prantt’s Natiirliche Pflanzen- 
familien. 
Only one species is known, P. leptostachya L., but a few varieties 
have been described by Briquet. These are parvifolia (Rafin.) 
Briq., from the Allegheny Mountains, and preserved in the her- 
barium of DELEssert ; Inciso-crenata Briq., cultivated in the 
garden of Ventenat; and lanceolata Briq., from Arkansas and 
Pennsylvania. The geographical distribution is quite remarkable, 
the species occurring in Canada (New Brunswick, Ontario), in the 
Atlantic States southward to Florida, and also in the Himalayas 
and in Japan; the variety Janceolata occurs with the type in Japan. 
Notwithstanding the fact that the internal structure, of the 
mature plant only, has been described by Briquet, there are still 
* SCHAUER, J. C., in De Canpotte’s Prodromus I12520. 1847. 
. Briquer, J. I., Mém. Soc. Phys. et Hist. Nat. Genéve 32:1894-97- 
Gazette, vol. 56] [306 

