106 Observations on the North American Gratiolce. 



2. Vifginica. Stem more or less pubescent, branching at 

 the base, assurgent, terete ; leaves smooth, sessile, lanceolate, 

 rather obtuse, dentate on the upper part, attenuated at the 

 base : peduncles long, setaceous, pubescent : calyx-leaves 

 equal, lanceolate, obtuse ; bracts broader : corolla white, 

 internally pubescent, tube yellow ; capsule ovate, rather 

 acute : sterile filaments none. Inhabits from Canada to 

 Mississippi, but is never found in the low country of the 

 southern states. If . 



3. Viscosa. Stem assurgent, viscously pubescent, subterete ; 

 leaves smooth, sessile, ovate-lanceolate, rather acute, dentate, 

 three-nerved : peduncles long ; calyx-leaves equal, linear- 

 lanceolate; bracts broader, expanding, shorter than the calyx; 

 corolla internally pubescent, whitish striped with purple, tube 

 yellow with two sterile filaments, capsule ovate, as long as the 

 calyx. Inhabits Virginia, and the upper parts of North 

 Carolina. U . 



This species was first discovered and named by Mr. 

 Schweinitz : it is the G. virginica of Elliott, although in his 

 description, he omits to mention the viscosity of the stem, 

 probably because he described from a dry specimen. 



4. Aurea. Smooth, stem tetragonal, repent at the base, 

 branching: leaves sessile, oblong-lanceolate, punctate, dentate 

 or very entire, acute, or sometimes rather obtuse ; peduncles 

 long, pubescent, setaceous ; calyx-leaves equal, linear; bracts 

 linear expanding : corolla yellow, internally pubescent, cap- 

 sule ovate, rather acute : sterile filaments two, minute. In- 

 habits from New-York to Florida. If. . 



This species was first distinguished by Muhlenberg. It has, 

 by all our late writers, been considered as the G. officinalis 

 of Michaux, and even by some, said to resemble the G. offi- 

 cinalis of Europe very much. But if any reliance is to be 

 placed upon the representations which have been published of 

 that plant, it must have required a peculiar obtuseness of 

 sight to trace any resemblance between them. This has 



