28 DIALYPETALOrS EXOGENS 



or 8 inches high, slender and smooth. Flowers white, in a terminal raceme 1 to 2 



inches long, at first circinate. 



Hob. Swampy springs, on the slaty hills: rare. Fl. July. Fr. Aug. 



Obs. The imaginative author of the Botanic Garden thus describes 

 this curious little plant: 



"Queen of the marsh, imperial DROSERA treads 



Rush-fringed banks, and moss-embroidered beds; 



Redundant folds of glossy silk surround 



Her slender waist, and trail upon the ground; 



Five sister-nymphs collect with graceful ease, 



Or spread the floating purple to the breeze ; 



And five fair youths with duteous love comply 



With each soft mandate of her moving eye. 



As with sweet grace her snowy neck she bows, 



A zone of diamonds trembles round her brows; 



Bright shines the silver halo, as she turns ; 



And, as she steps, the living lustre burns." 



ORDER XV. HYPERICiCEAE. 



Herbs, or shrubs, with a limpid or resinous juice; leaves opposite, entire, punctate, 

 without stipules; flowers regular, hypogynous, polyadelphous ; petals mostly con- 

 volute; capsule 1-celled, with 2 to 5 parietal placentae, and as many styles, or & 

 to5-celledby the meeting of the placentae in the centre; dehiscence septicidal ; 

 seeds numerous, with little or no albumen. 



48. AS'CYRIJM, L. 



[Gr. a, without, and skiros, roughness; the plants being smooth.] 

 Sepals 4, the 2 outer ones much larger. Petals 4. Stamens clustered 

 in parcels, but scarcely united. Capsule 1-celled, 2- or 3-valved. 

 Low, shrubby plants. 



1. A. Crux-An'dreae, L. Leaves obovate-oblong, narrowed 

 at base ; petals linear-oblong ; styles 2. 



ANDREW'S-CROSS ASCYRUM. St. Peter's-wort. 



Stem 9 to 18 inches high, much branched from the base. Leaves half an inch to 

 3 quarters in length, with numerous dark-colored dots on both sides, Flmven 

 yellow, in terminal few-flowered corymbs, and subterminal from the axils, on 

 short peduncles. 

 nab. Dry hills; North Talley hill; W. Nottingham: rare. Fl. July. Fr. Sept 



49. HYPER'ICUM, L. 



[A name of obscure derivation and meaning.] 



Sepals 5, nearly equal. Petals 5, oblique or unequal-sided. Sta- 

 mens united in 3 to 5 parcels, without interposed glands. Capsule 

 1- 3- or 5-celled. Herbs, or shrubs; flowers yellow. 



t Capsule 3-ceUed: petals and anthers black-dotted. Perennial herbs. 



1. H. perforatum, L. Stem somewhat ancipital ; leaves linear-elliptic, 

 eessile; corymb paniculate, leafy; styles diverging. 

 PERFORATED HYPEHICTJM. Common St. John's-Wort. 



Stem 1 to 8 feet high, often several from the same root. Leaves an inch or inch 

 and half long, rather obtuse, with numerous pellucid punctures like perforations. 

 Eab. Fields and pastures. Nat. of Europe. Fl. June. Fr. July. 



Obs. This foreigner is a worthless and rather troublesome weed, 

 in Chester County. It was formerly supposed to be the cause of 

 scabs, and cutaneous ulcers, among cattle, especially white cows, 



