~ Rafinesque on the Genus Floerkea. 375 | 
flowers axillar, solitary, and on long peduncles, swelled dnder 
the flower. 
Among the several specific names given to this plant I pre- 
fer Muhlenberg’s, as it expresses exactly the kind of situations 
where it grows, say in moist grounds, occasionally swampish or 
overflowed; those I found near Philadelphia, grew by thou- 
sands on the banks of a small brook in a wood below the et 
side of the falls of Schuylkill. Persoon’s name of lacustris, 
being wrong, as it would seem to imply that it grows in lakes 
only; and Wildenow’s name being too long and illusive, its 
similarity of habit with the genus Proserpinaca not being very 
striking. However, even the name of uliginosa is liable to 
some slight objection ; and did I think myself permitted to coin 
a new name, while so many have been proposed a ready, I 
should have called it either F. tenella, or F. flaccida, or F. oli- 
toria, being a very delicate and tender. plant, and very good 
to eat in salad, as I have tried it myself, its taste is sweet and 
pleasant, the whole plant may be eaten, (even the root) being 
all juicy and tender : it grows in such an abundance in some 
spots, that it might occasionally afford a most precious and de- 
lightful salad, and if cultivated for that purpose, it might be 
ound an agreeable addition to our culinary herbs. 
In addition to my above definition, it will be proper to state 
that the stem of this plant rises from 4 to 8 inches, it is cylin- 
drical, smooth, and yellowish, the middle leaves are the largest, 
the lower peduncles are longer than the leaves, and the upper 
ones shorter, the petals or interior sepals, and the stamens are 
yellow. It blossoms in May, and is annual, it even lasts only 
three months. 
It will be perceived that I do not agree with Mr. Pursh, in 
uniting this plant with the genus Nectris : he owns himself that 
it deviates a little from the generic character of Nectris, but 
these deviations appear to me very material ; they exist in the 
Pistils and fruits, the most essential parts of the flowers, since 
they agree in the perigone and stamens. The genus Nectris 
(or Calomba of Aublet) has two ovaries, two styles, and two po- 
lyspermous capsules, or achens! and belongs therefore to the 
second order Perimesia, (class Eltrogynia) eighth family Achen- 
‘ 
