1014 CONTRIBUTIOlSrS FROM THE NATIONAL, HERBARIUM. 



118. lYTHRACEAE. Loosestrife Family. 



Reference : Koehne in Engl. Pflanzenreich IV. 216. 1903. 



Trees, shrubs, or herbs; leaves opposite, whorled, or alternate, entire; sti- 

 pules minute or none; flowers perfect, 4 to 16-parted, the pedicels usually bi- 

 bracteolate ; calyx tubular to campanulate, the lobes valvate, petals inserted in 

 the throat of the calyx between the lobes ; stamens inserted on the calyx tube ; 

 style simple or none, the stigma capitate ; fruit capsular, dry. 



Leaves black-dotted 1. ADENARIA. 



Leaves never black-dotted. 



Calj'x tubular, slighty curved or else spurred or gibbous at base. 



3. PARSONSIA. 

 Calyx not tubular or, if so, neither curved nor gibbous at base. 



Flowers 12 to 16-parted; calyx 3 cm. long 3. LAFOENSIA. 



Flowers 4 to 7-parted ; calyx much less than 3 cm. long. 



Calyx tubular .—4. LYTHRUM. 



Calyx campanulate or broadly turbinate. 



Stamens 8 5. LAWSONIA. 



Stamens 10 to 42. 



Petals yellow; stamens 10 to 18 6. HEIMIA. 



Petals not yellow ; stamens 28 to 42. 



Petals on long slender claws, the blade cordate at base. 



7. LAGEUSTROEMIA. 

 Petals cuneate at base, not clawed 8. GINORIA. 



1. ADENAEIA H. B. K. Nov. Gen. & Sp. 6: 185. 1823. 

 The following is the only species. 



1. Adenaria floribunda H. B. K. Nov. Gen. e^ Sp. 6: 188. pi. 549. 1823. 



Oaxaca. Central and South America. 



Shrub or small tree, 1 to 6 meters high, covered everywhere with dotlike 

 black glands ; leaves opposite, nearly sessile, elliptic-lanceolate, 3 to 10 cm. 

 long, acute or acuminate, puberulent beneath ; flowers yellow, in short dense 

 axillary cymes, 4 or 5-parted ; calyx broadly turbinate, 3 to 4 mm. long, not 

 appendaged ; petals slightly exserted ; stamens 7 to 12. " Chaparral " 

 (Colombia); "guayabito" (Venezuela). 



The sapwood is said to be light cream-colored or nearly white, the heartwood 

 light yellow, turning darker or reddish on exposure, moderately soft and 

 light, very fine-grained, and taking a good polish. 



2. PARSONSIA Adans. Fam. PI. 2: 234. 1763. 



Shrubs or herbs ; leaves opposite or ternate ; flowers 6-parted, racemose or 

 lateral, the pedicels axillary or interpetiolar ; calyx tubular, often spurred at 

 base ; petals 6, 2, or none ; stamens 11 or 9 ; ovary with a dorsal or cupuliform 

 disk at base ; fruit capsular, 1-celled, dehiscent along one side ; seeds few or 

 numerous. 



Numerous herbaceous species occur in Mexico. Many of those listed below 

 do not merit classification as shrubs, but others are truly woody. Some of the 

 Brazilian species are reported to have sudorific, antisyphilitic, and diaphoretic 

 properties. P. pctioJata (L.) Rusby, of the United States, is said to resemble 

 digitalis in its physiological action. 



