824 MELASTOMACEAE 



minutely awn-tipped : anthers linear, 8-9 mm. long, spurred at the base : capsules sub- 

 globose, 6-7 mm. in diameter, shorter than the neck of the accrescent hypanthium. 

 In sandy swamps, Long Island to Missouri, Florida and Texas. Spring to fall. 



6. Rhexia Nashii Small. Stems erect from tuberous roots, 3-6 dm. tall, 4-angled, 

 densely hirsute, yellowish green like the rest of the foliage, often sparingly branched : 

 leaf-blades thickish, narrowly oblong-lanceolate, 2-5 cm. long, acute, slightly bristly-ser- 

 rulate, with 3 prominent yellow nerves, sessile : flowers in open cymes, short -pedicelled : 

 hypanthium glabrous or nearly so : sepals triangular, acute : petals purple, 14-17 mm. 

 long : anthers 1 cm. long, spurred at the base : capsules subglobose, 5-6 mm. in diameter, 

 about as long as the neck of the hypanthium. 



In sandy swamps, peninsular Florida. Spring and summer. 



7. Rhexia lanceolata Walt. Stems erect, 1-4 dm. tall, slender, villpus-hirsute like 

 the rest of the foliage, terete or nearly so : leaf-blades oblanceolate, elliptic-oblanceolate, 

 or linear-lanceolate, 1-2.5 cm. long, acute, bristly serrulate, sparingly pubescent on both 

 surfaces, short-petioled or nearly sessile : flowers in open cymes, short-pedicelled : hypan- 

 thium glabrous or sparingly pubescent when young : sepals lanceolate, hooked at the apex : 

 petals white to pale purple, apiculate or awn-tipped : anthers linear, 6-7 mm. long, spurred 

 at the base : capsules subglobose, 3.5-4 mm. in diameter, longer than the neck of the hy- 

 panthium. 



In dry or moist sandy soil, North Carolina and Tennessee to Florida and Louisiana. Spring and 

 summer. 



8. Rhexia delicatula Small. Stems slender, erect, 1-4 dm. tall, solitary, obscurely 

 4-angled, clothed with spreading very delicate hairs : leaf-blades thin, oblong or elliptic 

 to ovate, abruptly acute or obtusish, conspicuously bristly-serrate, with a few delicate hairs 

 on both surfaces, narrowed into slender petioles : flowers usually 3, in terminal cymes, short- 

 pedicelled : hypanthium glabrous, or with a few hairs below the throat : sepals narrowly 

 triangular, recurved : petals pale purple, 10-15 cm. long : anthers linear, 6 mm. long, 

 slightly spurred at the base : capsules subglobose, 4-5 mm. in diameter, longer than the 

 neck of the hypanthium. 



Along streams in the mountains, Georgia. Summer. 



9. Rhexia filifdrmis Small. Stems erect, wire-like, 1-4 dm. tall, sparingly pubes- 

 cent, villous-hirsute, simple or branched, terete or nearly so, the branches filiform : leaf- 

 blades quite numerous, linear-filiform or filiform, 1-3 cm. long, acute, serrulate, sessile, 

 the larger ones involutely folded : flowers in open cymes, short-pedicelled : hypanthium 

 glabrous : sepals lanceolate, acuminate : petals white or pale purple, less than 1 cm. long : 

 anthers linear, 6 mm. long, spurred at the base : capsules subglobose. 



In sandy soil, Georgia and Florida. Summer. 



10. Rhexia glabella Michx. Stems erect, 3-10 dm. tall, terete or obscurely 4-angled, 

 glabrous, often tufted, the base spongy when growing in water : leaf-blades leathery, 3-8 

 cm. long, more or less glaucous, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, acute or acuminate, entire 

 or inconspicuously serrulate, sessile : flowers in open cymes : hypanthium bristly with 

 glandular hairs : sepals triangular, acuminate : petals bright purple, 17-22 mm. long, 

 apiculate : anthers linear, 7-8 mm. long, spurred at the base : capsules subglobose, 6-7 

 mm. in diameter, longer than the neck of the hypanthium. 



In moist pine lands, North Carolina to Florida and Louisiana. Spring and summer. 



11. Rhexia Virginica L. Stems erect, 2-10 dm. tall, bristly pubescent or glabrate, 

 sharply 4-angled, the angles sometimes slightly winged : leaf-blades very variable, oblong- 

 elliptic, oval, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, 2-10 cm. long, acute or obtuse, bristly serru- 

 late, 5-nerved, sessile : flowers short-pedicelled, in- open cymes : hypanthium glandular- 

 pubescent : sepals lanceolate or triangular-lanceolate : petals bright purple, 11-17 mm. long, 

 rounded or retuse at the apex : anthers linear, spurred at the base : capsules subglobose, 

 5-6 mm. in diameter, much longer than the neck of the hypanthium. 



In sandy swamps or damp soil, Maine to Missouri, Florida and Louisiana. Spring to fall. DEER- 

 GRASS. 



12. Rhexia stricta Pursh. Stems erect, 6-13 dm. tall, sometimes much branched, 

 tufted, 4-winged, often spongy at the base : leaf-blades thickish, lanceolate to oblong-lance- 

 olate, 2-10 cm. long, acute or acuminate, bristly-serrulate, with 3 main nerves and 2 less 

 prominent marginal nerves, sessile : flowers short-pedicelled, in panicled cymes : hypanthium 

 glabrous : sepals triangular, acute : petals purple, 12-16 mm. long : anthers linear, 

 spurred at the base : capsules ovoid, 6-7 mm. long, longer than the short neck of the 

 hypanthium. 



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



