ONAGRACE^E. 17 



more firmly to the seed than in tlie three preceding species. Plant 

 pale-green, usually nearly glahrous, though sometimes the hairs on 

 the upper part of the stem, pods, calyx-segments, veins and margins 

 of the leaves arc abundant. 



E. Lamyii, F. Sc/mUz, appears to belong to this species ; it has 

 all the leaves narrowed into a very short petiole at the base, while 

 in the formal form the leaves on the middle of the stem are 

 sessile. 



No doubt Linnaeus included all the Epilobia with raised lines 

 on the stem under his E. tetragonum. In his Herbarium E. roseum 

 represents his E. tetragonum. 



Long-podcled square-stalked JVillow-herb. 



French, J^pilohe Tetragone. German, Vierkantiger Schotenweiderich. 



SPECIES IX —E PILOBIUM OBSCURUM. Schreb. 



Plate DHL 



Jiab. Ann. Nat. Hist. Ser. II. Vol. XVII. p. 242. 

 E. virgatum, Gr. & Godr. Fl. de Fr. Vol. I. p. 578. 



E. tetragonum, var. Benth. Handbook Brit. Fl. p. 208. Jlook & Am. Brit. FI. 

 ed. viii. p. 144. 



Stolons produced in late summer, partly subterranean, short 

 or elongated, rather slender, with a few more or less distant pairs 

 of small obovate leaves not forming a rosette. Stem erect, 

 usually from a curved base, simple or branched, with 2 or 4 con- 

 spicuous raised lines, glabrous below, clothed with curled hairs 

 above. Leaves dim, the lower ones opposite, the upper ones often 

 and the middle ones sometimes alternate, sessile or subsessile, 

 decurrent, lanceolate or the lower ones oblong, rounded at the 

 base which is suddenly contracted into the decurrent portion, 

 tapering to and generally blunt at the apex, faintly and irregularly 

 denticulate or denticulate- serrate, midrib only deeply depressed on 

 the upper surface and prominent on the under. Bracts alternate, 

 resembling the leaves. Buds acute. Elowers numerous, erect 

 before expansion. Calyx-segments narrowly triangular-lanceolate, 

 acute. Petals a quarter to half as long again as the calyx-segments. 

 Stigma club-shaped. Pods moderately long, straight except near the 

 base where they join the pedicel, clothed with short curled hairs. 

 Seeds obovate-ovoid, rounded above, obliquely sub-acute below, 

 roughened with minute tubercles. Plant glabrous except the 

 upper part of the stem, calyces, margins and sometimes the veins 

 of the leaves. 



By the sides of ditches and streams, and in swamps. Probably 



VOL. IV. D 



