474 BRASSICACEAE 



9. IODANTHUS T. & G. 



Perennial herbs, with erect branching stems and glabrous foliage. Leaves alternate : 

 blades toothed or lyrate-pinnatifid, with auricled bases. Flowers perfect, in terminal pan- 

 icles or in axillary racemes or panicles. Sepals 4, equal or nearly so, the lateral pairs more 

 or less appendaged near the apex. Corollas white or violet, the 4 petals with long claws. 

 Stamens 6, strongly tetradynamous. Ovary sessile : stigma nearly capitate, sessile. Ovules 

 numerous. Pods elongated, linear-cylindric, slightly constricted between the seeds, the 

 valves stiff, nerveless. Seeds in 1 row in each cavity, marginless. Cotyledons accumbent. 

 PURPLE ROCKET. 



1. lodanthus pinnatifidus (Michx.) Steud. Stems 3-10 dm. tall, branching above : 

 leaves variable, 3-20 cm. long ; blades of the lower ones often pinnatifid, with several basal 

 segments and a large terminal segment which is distinctly toothed or incised, the teeth flar- 

 ing ; blades of the upper leaves elliptic, oblong or ovate-lanceolate, dentate or incised ; 

 petioles broadly winged, clasping, often surpassing the blades on the lower part of the 

 stem, thence gradually reduced and very short above : pedicels finally 5-10 mm. long, spread- 

 ing : sepals oblong, about 3 mm. long : petals white or violet, spatulate, nearly thrice as 

 long as the sepals, even their claws surpassing them: pods elongated, 3-4 cm. long, 

 spreading. [7. hesperioides T. & G. ] 



On river banks, Pennsylvania to Minnesota, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas. Spring. 



10. THELYPODIUM Endl. 



Annual or mostly biennial caulescent herbs. Leaves alternate : blades often sagittate 

 or clasping at the base. Flowers in relatively dense racemes. Sepals somewhat spreading 

 during anthesis, rather short. Corolla white, purple or rarely yellow. Petals flat, some- 

 times with well-expanded blades. Stamens 6, exserted : filaments slender : anthers narrow, 

 sagittate at the base, curved or coiled. Ovary mostly sessile : stigma orbicular or 2-lobed. 

 Pods usually spreading, slender, terete or nearly so, often torulose. 



1. Thelypodium Vaseyi Coulter. Stems branched near the base, the branches sev- 

 eral dm. tall, slender, glabrous, glaucous : stem-leaves several ; blades obovate or oblong- 

 obovate, thin, repand-dentate, each narrowed to a clasping base : corolla white, inconspicu- 

 ous : petals about 3 mm. long : pods in loose racemes, very slender, about 5 cm. long, 

 almost erect, terminating pedicels 6-8 mm. long. 



In dry soil, southern Texas. Spring and summer. 



11. HESFERIS L. 



Biennial or perennial herbs, the foliage pubescent with simple or forked hairSj some- 

 times glandular. Stems erect, usually branched. Leaves alternate : blades entire or toothed, 

 or rarely lyrate. Flowers perfect, in racemes or panicles, sometimes fragrant. Sepals 4, 

 erect, equal or 2 gibbous at the base. Corolla white to purple, the 4 petals with claws. 

 Stamens 6. Ovary sessile : stigma 2-lobed, the lobes erect. Ovules numerous. Pods elon- 

 gated, nearly terete or 4-angled, keeled. Seeds in 1 row in each cavity, marginless and 

 wingless. Cotyledons incumbent. ROCKET. 



1. Hesperis matronalis L. Biennial or perennial, roughish pubescent. Stems 

 erect, 3-12 dm. tall, simple or sparingly branched above : leaves 2-15 cm. long ; blades 

 of the lower ones elliptic-obi anceolate, those of the upper oblong or ovate-lanceolate, 

 acute or acuminate, denticulate or rarely slightly pinnatifid ; petioles about ^ as long as 

 the blades at the base of the plant, very short above : pedicels stout, ascending, finally 

 10-15 mm. long : sepals oblong, 5-6 mm. long, rounded at the apex : petals white, pink 

 or purple, about thrice as long as the sepals ;* blades suborbicular or obovate ; claws 

 longer than the blades : pods elongated, 5-10 cm. long, spreading or ascending, swollen 

 about the seeds. 



In fields and waste places, Massachusetts to Iowa and North Carolina. Spring and summer. 



12. STENOFHRAGMA Celak. 



Annual or perennial herbs, more or less densely pubescent with branching hairs. 

 Leaves alternate, sometimes mainly basal : blades entire, toothed or pinnatifid. Flowers 

 perfect, in racemes. Sepals 4. Corolla white : petals 4, surpassing the sepals. Stamens 



