On the North American Ruellice. 141 



constant, as is likewise their degree of smoothness ; the pedun- 

 cles are sometimes one-flowered. 



In a rich and open soil this plant attains the height of 

 two feet, all its properties are developed, and a hairiness which 

 in other cases would not be visible becomes conspicuous ; on 

 the other hand, in a hard and compact clay, it seldom exceeds 

 six inches in height, is frequently perfectly smooth, and the 

 stem weak and declining : in this state it is the R. humistrata 

 of Michaux. I do not hesitate to refer to this species, Mr. 

 Elliott's R. hirsuta. Some of the varieties I have seen exactly 

 suit his description ; but it is very remarkable that he appears 

 never to have seen the smooth variety, which in the southern 

 parts of Georgia, is much more common than any other. 



2. R. ciliosa of Pursh : erect, branching, more or les§ 

 hirsute ; leaves petioled, oval, oblong, or oblong-lanceolate, 

 acute, or rather obtuse, sometimes cuneate, or (as may be said) 

 attenuated into a petiole, undulate, entire or repand, more or 

 less ciliate ; peduncles axillary, very short or none, from one 

 to three-flowered ; divisions of the calyx for the most part twice 

 as short as the tube of the corolla, linear, hispid, ciliate with 

 whitish hairs ; corolla lilac or white> subequal ; stamina 

 equal. 7J. 



When this species is found in rich and shady situations, it 

 exceeds in height the preceding, but in a dry and steril soil 

 it scarcely grows more than three inches high, and is even 

 sometimes pressed to the ground ; in this situation it is more 

 hairy, and the tube of corolla (a variable character with re- 

 spect to the length of the calyx) becomes much shortened. It is 

 thus found very common in the neighbourhood of Savannah, 

 and is the R. hybrida of Pursh, who obtained from me the 

 specimens from which he made his description. The tall va- 

 riety or jR. ciliosa of the same, to my knowledge, occurs only 

 in the savannas of the Alatamaha ; it very much resembles 

 the first, and after all, may not be distinct from it. Culti- 

 vation may determine the point. It is only found in sandy 



