XLVt. PRlMtJLACE.fi, 291 



A considerable genus, spread over the northern hemisphere in Europe, 

 Asia, and America. 



Stems erect. Peduncles many-flowered. 



Leaves ovate-lanceolate. Flowers In short terminal panicles. 



Lobes of the corolla broad 1. L. vulga.ru. 



Leaves lanceolate. Flowers In axillary racemes. Lobes of th 



corolla narrow and short 2. L. thyrtijlara. 



Stems procumbent or trailing. Peduncles 1-flowered, axillary. 

 Flowers small, rotate. Calyx-segments very narrow . . 4. L. nemarum. 

 Flowers large, almost campanulate. Calyx-segments broad . 3. L. Nummularia. 



Besides the above, L. ciliata, Linn., a North American species, has 

 been gathered apparently wild in Cumberland and near Dumbarton. It 

 is an erect plant, like L. vulgaris, but with fewer flowers on longer 

 pedicels, the corolla more rotate and paler coloured, fringed at the edge, 

 and the stamens free and spreading. 



1. It, vulgaris, Linn. (fig. 654). Common L., Loosestrife. Stem erect, 

 branched, 2 to 3 feet high, and more or less downy. Leaves usually 

 in whorls of 3 or 4, rather large, broadly lanceolate or nearly ovate. 

 Flowers in short, compound racemes, or panicles, in the upper axils 

 and at the summit of the branches, forming a terminal, leafy panicle. 

 Segments of the calyx lanceolate and pointed, varying much in breadth, 

 and more or less ciliate on the edges. Corolla yellow, rather campanu- 

 late than rotate, deeply divided into 6 broad lobes. Stamens connected 

 at the base into a cup enclosing the ovary. 



On shady banks, and along streams, in Europe and Russian Asia, from 

 the Mediterranean and the Caucasus to the Arctic Circle. Frequent in 

 England, local in Ireland, rare in Scotland. Fl. summer, rather late. L. 

 punctata is a marked variety of this species, not uncommon in Germany 

 and south-eastern Europe, and occurring, mixed with the common form, 

 in north-western England and south-western Scotland. It has the 

 pedicels usually 1-flowered in the axils of the stem-leaves, the sepals 

 rather narrower, and the lobes of the corolla fringed with minute 

 glandular hairs ; but none of these characters are constant. 



2. L. thyrsiflora, Linn. (fig. 655). Tufted Z. Stem erect, simple, 



1 to 2 feet high, sometimes slightly downy. Leaves sessile, lanceolate, 



2 to 3 inches long. Flowers small and yellow, in dense axillary racemes, 

 more or less pedunculate, but always shorter than the leaves. Sepals 

 and petals narrow, the stamens and styles very prominent, and all the 

 parts of the flower as often in sixes as in fives. 



On wet banks, and along streams, in central and northern Europe, and 

 northern Asia and America, extending to the Arctic Circle. In Britain, 

 confined to northern England and central Scotland. Fl. summer. 



3. L. Nummularia, Linn. (fig. 656). Moneyioort, Creeping Jenny. 

 Stems prostrate, trailing to the length of 1 to 2 feet, often rooting at 

 the nodes. Leaves opposite, broadly ovate or rounded, very obtuse, 

 on short stalks. Flowers yellow, large and handsome, on axillary 

 peduncles not so long as the leaves ; the divisions of the calyx broadly 

 ovate and pointed ; the corolla concave, deeply divided into 5 ovate 

 lobes. Stamens erect in the centre, with the filaments slightly connected 

 at the base. 



On banks, under hedges, and in moist pastures, all over Europe, except 

 the extreme north, and eastward to the Caucasus. Mot uncommon ir- 



