Vol. III.] 



ACANTHUS FAMILY. 



203 



2. Ruellia ciliosa Pursh. 



Hairy Ruellia. (Fig. 3372.) 



Ruellia ciliosa Pursh. Fl. Am, Sept. 420. 1S14. 



Similar to the preceding species, but hir- 

 sute or pubesceut, at least above; stem erect, 

 or ascendiug, rather stout, i°-2'/i° high. 

 Leaves hairy, ciliate oblong, oval, or ovate, 

 sessile or sliort-petioled, obtuse or subacute 

 at the apex, narrowed at the base, lyi'-i' 

 long; flowers clustered or solitary in the 

 axils, sometimes cleistogatnous; calyx-seg- 

 ments filiform, hirsute, io"-i2" long, about 

 V" wide; corolla blue, ij4'-2' long, the tube 

 equalling or longer than the obconic throat 

 and nearly regular limb; capsule shorter than 

 the calyx. 



In dry soil, southern New Jersey and Pennsyl- 

 vania.lo Florida, west to Michigan, Nebraska and 

 Louisiana. Perhaps includes several species. 

 June-Sept. 



RuelUa ciliosa parviflora (Nees) Britton. 

 Diplt'iacatithns ciliosns vat, parinJlorustJeeSf 



Linnaea, i6: 294. 1842. 

 Ruellia ciliosa var. ambigua A. Gray, Syn. Fl. 



2: Part I, 326. 1878. 



Glabrous or nearly so throughout, or the calj-x 

 pubescent; leaves often manifestly petioled. 

 Virginia to Alabama, 



3. Ruellia pedunculata Torr. 



Stalked Ruellia. (Fig. 3373.) 



Ruellia pedi4nc.ulataTorr.; A. Gray, Syn. Fl. 

 2: Part I, 326. 1878. 



Finely pubesceut; stem erect, i°-2^° 

 tall, the branches spreading. Leaves 

 ovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute or acum- 

 inate at the apex, narrowed at the base, 

 short-pctiolcd, the larger 2'-3' long; pe- 

 duncles slender, spreading, i'-3' long, 

 with 2 leaf-like bracts at the summit 

 which subtend a solitary flower, or 2 or 3 

 sleuder-pedicelled ones with pedicels 

 similarly bracted; calyx-segments awn- 

 like, equalling the narrow corolla-tube, or 

 shorter; corolla funnelform, iyi'-2' long; 

 capsule about io"long, puberulent, longer 

 than the calyx. 



In dry soil, Missouri to Arkansas and 

 Louisiana. June-Sept. 



3. DIANTHERA L. Sp. PI. 27. 1753. 



Herbs, mostly perennial, with entire or rarely dentate leaves, and small or large very ir- 

 regular flowers, variously clustered or solitary in the axils. Calyx deeply 4-5-parted, the 

 segments narrow. Corolla-tube slender, short or elongated, curved or nearly straight, the 

 limb conspicuously 2-lipped; upper lip interior in the bud, erect or ascendiug, concave, entire, 

 or 2-dentate; lower lip spreading, 3-cleft. Stamens 2, inserted on the throat of the corolla, not 

 exceeding the upper lip; anther-sacs ovate or oblong, slightly divergent, not niucronate,separa- 

 tcd by a rather broad connective. Ovules 2 in each cavity of the ovary; style slender; stigma 

 entire, or 2-lobed. Capsule contracted at the base into a long stipe, about 4-seeded. Seeds flat, 

 orbicular or ovate, the placentae not separating from the walls of the capsule. [Greek, double 

 anthers.] 



About 100 species, native of tropical America, a few in tropical Asia and Africa. Besides the 

 following, 4 others occur in the southern and southwestern United States. 



p'lowers capitate, the heads dense, at length oblong. i. D. Americana. 



Flowers in loose spikes. 2. D. oi'ala. 



