610 ORDEB 103. PHYTOLACCACE.E. 



joints naked; Ivs. cordate-hastate, acuminate, auricles acute; fis. in loose, pe- 

 dunculate racemes which are naked or leafy ; cat. with the 3 outer sep. acutely keeled 

 and win'jedon the back, closely covering the smooth, black achenium. (1) Thickets, 

 Can. and U. S. St. 3 to 8 to 12t'long, climbing over bushes, &c. Lvs. 2 to 3' by 

 1 to 2', petioles nearly as long. Wings of the calyx narrower than the fruit, 

 produced often at the apex. Jl. Sept. 



20 P. sagittatum L. SCRATCH GRASS. St. prostrate, rough -an gled ; Ivs. lan- 

 ceolate-sag itate fls. capitate ; sta. 8 ; sty. 3. (T. Wet grounds, Can. and U. S. 

 A rough, climbing species, 2 to 5f in length. St. square, the angles very rough 

 with prickles pointing downwards. Lvs. acute, 2 to 3' long, a third as wide, 

 with straight auricles and smooth stipules. Fls. in small, terminal heads, 

 whitish. Jn. 



21 P. arifolium L. St. aculeate with reversed prickles ; Ivs. hastate, acuminate, 

 with divaricate, acuminate auricles ; spikes few-flowered: fls. distinct; stam. 6; 

 sty. 2. CD Wet grounds, Can. to Ga. and W. States. Distinguished from the last 

 by its larger, h albert-shaped leaves which are 2 to 4' long and | as wide. Petioles 

 J to 1' long. Clusters racemous, slender, loose, few-flowered, at tho ends of the 

 branches. Jn., JL 



8. FAGOPY'RUffl, Tourn. BUCKWEAT. (Gr. </>ayof, German 

 Eng. the beech, Trvpog, wheat; beech-nut-wheat.) Calyx colored, 

 equally 5- parted, spreading, withering, not enlarged in fruit; stamens 

 8, with 8 nectariferous glands between ; styles 3 ; stigmas obtuse ; ache- 

 nia 3-anglcd, much exceeding the calyx. (f) Herbs with cordate-hastate 

 Ivs., oblique sheaths and panicled rac. of white-roseate fls. 



F. esculentum Moench. Erect, smoothish ; Ivs. cordate with obtuse labes ; ach. 

 angles wingless, entire, tho sides ovate-triangular. Old fields, sparingly natu- 

 ralized, cultivated. St. 2 to 4f high. Lvs. 2 to 4' long, half as wide. Fls. nu- 

 merous, very grateful to bees. Fruit black, a valuable grain. ) Asia. 



ORDER GUI. PIIYTOLACCACE^E. POKEWORTS. 



Serbs with alternate, entire leaves and perfect, 5-parted, hypogynous flowers. 

 Calyx free. Stamens 5 to 30, alternate with the sepals when of the same number. 

 Ovary usually compound, of several carpels, each 1-ovuled cohering in a circle. 

 Styles and stigmas as many as carpels. Fruit baccate or samara-like. Seeds erect, 

 with the embryo coiled around the farinaceous albumen. 



Genera 20, specie* SO, scattered in all parts of the world. Their properties arc' purgative or 

 emetic, yet hitherto little used or understood. 



1. PHYTOLAC'CA, Tourn. POKE. GARGOT-WEED. (Gr. tyvrov, a 

 plant, Lat. lacca, lac or lake ; from tlie juice of the berries.) Calyx 5- 

 parted, resembling a corolla; stamens 5 to 25 ; styles and carpels 5 to 

 12 ; berry superior, depressed, globular, with as many seeds as styles. 

 Herbaceous. Rac. terminal, soon becoming opposite the leaves. 



P. decandra L. Lvs. ovate, acute at both ends; fls. with 10 stamens and 10 

 styles. It Roadsides, U. S. and Can., common. Root very large and branching. 

 St. with a diam. of 1 to 2', 5 to 8f high, round, smooth, branching, and when 

 mature of a fine, deep purple. Lvs. 5' by 2 to 3', smooth, of a rich green color, 

 entire and petioled. Rac. cylindric, long, at first terminal, becoming finally op- 

 posite the leaves. Fls. greenish-white. Fruit a dark purple berry, with juice 

 staining a beautiful purple color. Jl. Sept. 



2. RIVI^NA, Plum. (Tn memory of A. Q. Rivinus^ Prof, of Botany 



at Leipzic.)- Calyx 4-parted, 3-bracteolate ; sepals equal, suberect in 

 fruit; stamens 4 or 8; ovary 1 -ceiled, 1 -styled, 1-ovuled, berry at 



