Vou. II.] ORPINE FAMILY. 169 
1. Penthorum sedoides I. Ditch or 
Virginia Stonecrop. (Fig. 1821.) 
Penthorum sedoides 1,. Sp. Pl. 432. 1753. 
Glabrous, erect, stem usually branched and an- 
gled above, terete below, 6’-2° high. Leaves lan- 
ceolate or narrowly elliptic, acuminate at each end, 
finely serrate, 2’-4’ long, 6’’-12’’ wide; cymes 2- 
3-forked, the branches 1/—3/ long; flowers short- 
pedicelled, about 2’’ broad; sepals triangular-ovate, 
acute, shorter than the flattish capsule; petals often 
or generally wanting. 
In ditches and swamps, New Brunswick to Florida, 
west to Minnesota and Texas. July-Sept. 
FS 
Family 39. SAXIFRAGACEAE Dumort. Anal. Fam. Bom Lo2 9: 
SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 
Herbs, shrubs, vines, or trees, with basal or alternate or opposite leaves. 
Flowers perfect or polygamo-dioecious, solitary, racemose, cymose or paniculate. 
Calyx 5-lobed or 5-parted (rarely 4-12-lobed or parted), free, or adnate to the 
ovary, usually persistent. Petals usually 4 or 5, rarely none. Stamens equal 
in number or twice as many as the petals, in apetalous species as many or twice 
as many as the calyx-lobes, perigynous or epigynous; filaments distinct. Disk 
generally present. Carpels 1-several, often 2, distinct or united, mostly fewer 
than the stamens; styles as many as the carpels or cavities of the ovary, or all 
united into one. Fruit a capsule, follicle or berry. Seeds commonly numerous; 
endosperm generally copious, fleshy; embryo small, terete. 
About 70 genera and 600 species, of wide geographic distribution, mainly natives of the tem- 
perate zones, rare in the tropics. 
Herbs; leaves basal or opposite or alternate. 
Staminodia (abortive stamens) none; flowers mostly clustered. 
Large herbs; leaves 3-ternate; flowers polygamous. 1. Astilbe. 
Leaves simple, cleft, lobed or 3-foliolate; flowers perfect. 
Placentae axial. 
Ovary superior or nearly so; stamens Io. 2. Saxifraga. 
Ovary more or less adnate to the calyx-tube. 
Stamens 5, in our species. 
Petals deciduous. 3. Therofon. 
Petals persistent. 4. Sullivantia. 
Stamens Io. 2. Saxifraga. 
Placentae almost basal. 5. Tiarella. 
Placentae parietal. 
Petals present (in our species); terrestrial plants. 
Petals entire. 6. Heuchera. 
Petals lobed or pinnatifid. 7. Mitella. 
Petals none; small aquatic plants. 8. Chrysosplenium. 
Staminodia present, alternate with the stamens; flower solitary. 9. Parnassia. 
Shrubs, or woody vines; leaves opposite or alternate. 
Leaves opposite. 
Stamens 8-12. 10. Hydrangea. 
Stamens 20-40. 
Vine; petals small; style only r. 11. Decumaria. 
Shrubs; petals large; styles 3-5. 12. Philadelphus. 
Leaves alternate; flowers small, racemed. 13. Llea. 
1. ASTILBE Hamilt.; D. Don. Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 210. 1825. 
Erect perennial herbs, with large 2-3-ternate leaves, and small spicate polygamous 
flowers in terminal panicles. Calyx campanulate, 4-5-lobed. Petals 4-5 (in our species), 
linear-spatulate, inserted at the base of the calyx. Stamens 8-10, all perfect, inserted with 
the petals; filaments elongated. Ovary superior or nearly so, 2-3-celled, deeply 2-3-lobed; 
styles 2-3; stigmas obtuse; ovules «. Capsule 2~3-lobed, separating into 2-3 follicle-like 
carpels, each usually few-seeded. Seeds small, the testa loose, tapering ateachend. [Greek 
without brightness. ] 
