LYTHRUM.] LYTHRACE^. . 147 



rounded by the calyx, 2-6-celled, or 1 -celled by the septa vanishing ; 

 placentas usually forming a central seed-bearing column. Seeds various, 

 albumen scanty or ; cotyledons oblong or orbicular, 2-auricled. DISTEIB. 

 Chiefly trop. ; genera 30 ; species 250. AFFINITIES. With Onagraricce, 

 Myrtacece, and Haloragece. PROPERTIES. Astringent, acrid, and vesicatory. 

 Pomegranate bark is astringent. 



Calyx tubular. Petals exceeding the calyx-teeth .................. 1. Lythrum. 



Calyx campanulate. Petals minute or ................................. 2. Peplis. 



1. LY'THRUM, L. LOOSESTRIFE. 



Herbs or shrubs, with 4-angled branches. Leaves opposite, rarely whorled 

 or alternate, quite entire. Flowers axillary, solitary or cymose, red or 

 purple. Calyx-tube cylindric, straight ; teeth, and ribs 8-1 2. Petals 4-6, 

 sometimes unequal or 0. Stamens 8-12, 1-2-seriate in the calyx-tube, 

 filaments filiform often declinate. Ovary sessile, 2-celled ; style filiform, 

 stigma obtuse ; ovules very many, placentas thick. Capsule 1 -2-celled, 

 septiciclally 2-valved or bursting irregularly. Seeds plano-convex or angular. 

 DISTRIB. Temp, and trop. regions ; species 12 ETYM. \v6pov, gore, from 

 the blood-red flowers. 



1. Zi. Salicar'ia, L. ; leaves opposite or whorled lanceolate cordate at 

 the base, flowers whorled, stamens ] 2. 



lliver-banks and ditches, &c. from Argyle and Perth southwards; fl. July-Sept. 

 Glabrous or pubescent. Rootstock creeping. Stem 2-5 ft., branched, 4-6- 

 angled or winged. Leaves 2-5 in., often 3-4 in a whorl, acute. Cymes 

 glomerate, in terminal spiked racemes. Flowers f-1 in. diam., red-purple ; 

 bracts small or 0. Calyx tube % in., 12-riboed, outer teeth lanceolate, longer 

 than the inner. Petals narrow- oblong, wrinkled. Capsule ovoid. DISTRIB. 

 Temp. N. regions (Arctic), Australia. Flowers trimorphic in respect of 

 length of style and filaments in 3 sets of individuals. Of those growing 

 by the Thames at Kew, the long-styled is glabrous, slender, with small 

 narrow leaves, and bright flowers ; that with very short styles is a larger, 

 coarser, very pubescent plant, with dull purple flower. 



2. L. Hyssopifo'lia, L. ; leaves chiefly alternate linear-lanceolate, 

 flowers solitary, stamens about 6. 



Moist places, often inundated, very local, Piochester, Oxford, Cambridgeshire, 

 Berkshire, &c.; fl. June-Sept. Glabrous, annual. Stem -1^ ft., prostrate or 



ascending. Leaves ^-1 in., sessile, cuneate at the base, very narrow. Flowers 

 small, pink. Calyx-tube 2-bracteolate ; teeth subulate, subequal. Petals 

 oblong. Capsule cylindric. DISTRIB. Europe from Hanover southwards, 

 N. and S. Africa, Siberia, India, N. and S. America. 



2. PEP'LIS, L. WATER-PURSLANE. 



Small weak annual herbs. Leaves alternate and opposite, quite entire, 

 Flowers minute, axillary, subsessile, 2-bracteolate. Calyx campanulate, 

 6-lobed, with as many alternate spreading teeth. Petals 6, in the throat of 

 the calyx, fugacious, or 0. Stamens 6 or 12, in the middle of the calyx- 

 tubc. Ovary subglobose, membranous, 2-celled ; style short, stigma capi- 

 tate ; ovules very many, placentas semicylindric, attached to the septum. 

 Capsule 2-celled, 2-valved, or bursting irregularly, many-seeded. Seeds 

 L 2 



