MELASTOMACEAE 823 



minal pore. Ovary sessile, 4-celled, free : style slender : stigma truncate. Ovules numer- 

 ous on the 4 placentae. Capsules 4-celled, 4-valved, included. Seeds variously roughened, 

 coiled or bent. MEADOW-BEAUTY. 



Anthers relatively short, oblong, not spurred at the base. 

 Corolla purple or rarely white. 



Hypanthium glandular-pubescent : upper surface of the leaf-blades glabrous. 1. R. serrulata. 

 Hypanthium glabrous : upper surface of the leaf-blades bristly. 2. It. ciliosa. 



Corolla yellow. 3. R. lutea. 



Anthers elongated, linear, spurred at the base. 



Neck of the mature hypanthium as long as the body or longer. 



Leaf-blades narrowly linear, the midrib only prominent and conspicuous. 4. It. Floridana. 



Leaf-blades not linear, the 3 nerves prominent and conspicuous. 



Stems rather sparingly pubescent with delicate hairs : leaf-blades nearly 



glabrous. 5. R. Mariana. 



Stems densely pubescent with coarse yellow hairs : leaf-blades shaggy-pu- 

 bescent with hairs like those on the stem. 6. It. Nashii. 

 Neck of the mature hypanthium much shorter than the body. 

 Stems and branches terete or nearly so. 



Hypanthium glabrous or with a few scattered hairs. 



Leaf-blades over 2 mm. broad : hypanthium with a few scattered hairs 



Leaf-blades linear to lanceolate. 7. It. lanceolata. 



Leaf-blades oval, elliptic or oblong-ovate, very thin. 8. R. ddicatula. 



Leaf-blades less than 2 mm. broad : hypanthium glabrous. 9. R. flliformis. 



Hypanthium densely glandular-pubescent. 10. R. glabetta. 



Stems sharply angled or narrowly 4- winged. 

 Corolla over 2 cm. broad, colored. 



Sepals less than % as long as the hypanthium at maturity. 



Stems with pubescent internodes : hypanthium pubescent at maturity. 11. R. Virginica. 

 Stems with glabrous internodes : hypanthium glabrous at maturity. 12. R. stricta. 

 Sepals fully % as long as the hypanthium at maturity. 13. R. aristosa. 



Corolla less than 2 cm. broad, white. 14. R. parviflora. 



1. Rhexia serrulata Nutt. Stems slender, glabrous below, erect, 5-30 cm. tall, 4- 

 angled, sometimes sparingly branched : leaf-blades thickish, ovate, oval or suborbicular, 

 0.5-1 cm. long, obtuse or acute, bristly serrulate, sessile or nearly so : flowers solitary or in 

 congested cymes : hypanthium bristly with glandular hairs when young : sepals triangular : 

 petals purple, about 10 mm. long, apiculate : anthers oblong, not spurred : capsules sphe- 

 roidal, 4 mm. broad, much longer than the very short neck of the hypanthium. 



In pine-land swamps and low ground, Georgia and Florida. Summer. 



2. Rhexia ciliosa Michx. Stems rather slender, erect, 2-6 dm. tall, 4-angled, glabrous 

 or nearly so, the branches erect or strongly ascending : leaf-blades 1-2 cm. long, broadly 

 ovate to ovate-lanceolate, or elliptic, acute, bristly serrulate, usually with scattered hairs 

 above, rounded at the base, sessile or short-petioled : flowers usually in congested cymes, 

 short-pedicelled : hypanthium becoming glabrous : sepals triangular, acute : petals 9-15 

 mm. long, violet-purple or deep pink, rounded or apiculate at the apex : anthers oblong, 

 not spurred : capsules subglobose, 4-5 mm. in diameter, much longer than the neck of the 

 hypanthium. 



In sandy swamps, Maryland to Florida and Louisiana. Spring and summer. 



3. Rhexia lutea Walt. Stems deep green, bristly-pubescent, erect, r l-3 dm. tall, 

 4-angled, simple, or finally with numerous short branches above : leaf -blades 1-2.5 cm. 

 long, the upper ones linear-oblong to oblong, acute, the lower cuneate, obtuse, all bristly- 

 serrulate, more or less reflexed : flowers rather short-pedicelled or nearly sessile, numerous : 

 hypanthium glabrous in age : sepals lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acuminate: petals deep 

 green, 9-13 mm. long, spreading, more or less distinctly awn-tipped : anthers narrowly 

 oblong, often shorter than the filaments : capsules subglobose, 4 mm. in diameter, longer 

 than the neck of the hypanthium. 



In low sandy pine lands, North Carolina to Florida and Mississippi. Summer. 



4. Rhexia Floridana Nash. Stems olive-green, erect, 2-5 dm. tall, 4-angled, often 

 diffusely branched, glandular-hirsute : leaf-blades linear, 1.54 cm. long, glabrous, acute, 

 remotely bristly-serrulate, sessile: flowers short-pedicelled, in open cymes: hypanthium 

 bristly when young, glabrous in age : sepals lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate, acuminate : 

 petals purple, 11-17 mm. long, awn-tipped, each awn terminating in a gland : anthers 

 linear, mainly 1 cm. long, slightly spurred at the base : capsules ovoid, 6-7 mm. long, 

 about as long as the neck of the hypanthium. 



In sand or clayey swamps, southern Georgia and Florida to Mississippi. Summer. 



5. Rhexia Mariana L. Stems erect, 2-8 dm. tall, villous-hirsute, simple or much 

 branched, nearly terete : leaf-blades narrowly oblong, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, 

 1.5-8 cm. long, acute, bristly-serrulate, nearly glabrous, narrowed into short petioles : 

 flowers in open cymes, short-pedicelled : hypanthium sparingly pubescent, or glabrous in 

 age : sepals ovate or triangular, acute : petals pale or deep purple, 14-28 mm. long, often 



