Vor,. II.] PRIMROSE FAMILY. 587 
4: SAMOLUS L. Sp. Ply r7te 0753: 
Perennial glabrous herbs, with alternate entire leaves, or the basal ones rosulate. Flow- 
ers small, white, in terminal racemes or panicles in our species. Calyx persistent, its tube 
adnate to the ovary below, its limb 5-cleft. Corolla perigynous, subcampanulate, 5-lobed or 
5-parted, the lobes obtuse, imbricated, at least in the bud. Stamens 5, inserted on the tube 
= the corolla, opposite its lobes, alternating with as many staminodia (these wanting in S. 
ebracteatus), filaments short; anthers cordate. Ovary partly inferior; ovules;numerous, amphi- 
tropous. Capsule globose or ‘ovoid, 5-valved from the summit. Seeds minute. [Name Celtic. ] 
About ro species, of wide distribution, most abundant in South Africa and Australasia. Besides 
the following another occurs in the southern United States. 
1. Samolus floribindus H.B.K. Water Pimpernel. Brookweed. (Fig. 2810. ) 
Samolus floribundus H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 2: 224. 1817. 
S. Valerandi var. Americanus A.Gray,Man. Ed. 2, 274. 1856. 
Erect or ascending, branched, at least at the base, 
6/-18’ high. Leaves membranous, 1/-3/ long, 14/-1/ 
wide, obovate, obtuse at the apex, narrowed at the base 
into petioles, the basal often in a rosulate tuft, the upper- 
most smaller and sometimes sessile; flowers commonly 
numerous, less than 1// broad, in loose elongated pani- 
cled racemes; pedicels filiform, spreading, 4’/-12’’ long, 
bracteolate near the middle; calyx-lobes acute, shorter 
than the corolla; capsule 1//-114’ in diameter, the 5 
apical valves spreading at maturity. 
In swamps and brooks, often in brackish soil, New Bruns- 
wick to Florida, west to British Columbia, Texas and Cali- 
fornia. Also in Mexico and South America. May-Sept. 
Samolus Valerandi L., of Europe and Asia, a smaller plant 
hte mostly simple racemes and larger flowers and capsules, 
has been found in ballast about Philadelphia. 
5. LYSIMACHIA LI, Sp. Pl. 146. 1753. 
Herbs, mostly perennial, with leafy stems. Leaves entire, often glandular-punctate; 
flowers in our species yellow, solitary in the axils, or racemose, corymbose or paniculate. 
Calyx 5-7-parted or 5~-7-divided, persistent, free from the ovary. Corolla rotate or campanu- 
late, 5-7-parted, the tube very short, the lobes convolute at least in the bud. Stamens 5-7, 
inserted on the throat of the corolla; filaments separate, or connate at the base; anthers 
oblong or oval; staminodia none. Ovary globose or ovoid; ovules few or several; style 
filiform; stigma obtuse. Capsule ovoid or globose, 2-5-valved, few or several-seeded. 
[Greek, loose-strife. ] 
About 7o species, mostly natives of the northern hemisphere, a few in Africa and Australia. 
Besides the following, 2 others occur in the southern United States. 
Leaves verticillate in 3’s-7’s, or some of them rarely opposite. 
Corolla rotate-camipanulate, pure yellow, 6'’-12'’ broad. 
Flowers in terminal panicles; corolla-lobes glabrous. 
Flowers axillary; corolla-lobes glandular-ciliolate. 
Corolla rotate, 4''-8’’ broad, its lobes dark-streaked. 
Leaves opposite, or some of them rarely alternate. 
Flowers in a terminal virgate raceme; stem erect. 
Flowers axillary, solitary; stem creeping. 
L. vulgaris. 
L. punctata. 
L. quadrifolia. 
L. terrestris. 
L. Nummularia. 
Lysimachia vulgaris L. Golden or Yel- 
low Loosestrife. (Fig. 2811.) 
Lysimachia vulgaris J, Sp. Pl. 146. 1753. 
Densely downy-pubescent; stem erect, branched, 2°— 
344° high. Leaves verticillate in 3’s or 4’s, or some of 
then opposite, short-petioled, ovate- lanceolate or 
ovate, acute or acuminate at the apex, mostly nar- 
rowed at the base, 2/-4’ long, %/-11%4’ wide; flowers 
6/’-10’’ broad, in terminal leafy panicles or compound 
corymbs; pedicels 2//-6’’ long; sepals lanceolate or 
triangular-lanceolate, acute or acuminate; corolla yel- 
low, rotate-campanulate, deeply parted, the segments 
glabrous; filaments monadelphous to about the mid- 
dle, glandular; capsule about 114’ in diameter, shorter 
than the sepals. 
In fields and along roadsides, Maine to southern New 
York and Pennsylvania. Naturalized from Europe. Na- 
tive also of Asia. Called also Willow-wort. June-Aug. 
Ge whn 
