No. 14.] FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS. 289 



Rare. Cultivated ground, meadows and waste places: 

 Southington (Mrs. J. Dunham), Oxford (Harger), Bridge- 

 port (Eames). May — Oct. Adventive from Europe. 



CACTACEAE. CACTUS FAMILY. 

 OPUNTIA Mill. Prickly Pear. Indian Fig. 



Opuntia vulgaris Mill, (common). 

 Opuntia Opuntia Coult. 

 Prickly Pear. Indian Fig. 



Exposed rocks and in sandy soils. Occasional along the 

 coast; rare inland, reaching Scotland (G. Waldo), Guilford, 

 at North Guilford (G. H. Bartlett), Naugatuck and Beacon 

 Falls (J. K. Goodrich), Seymour and Oxford (Harger). 

 June —July. 



THYMELAEACEAE. MEZEREUiM FAMILY. 

 DIRCA L. Leatherwood. Moosewood. 



Dirca palustris L. (of marshes). 



Wicopy. Leatherwood. Moosewood. 



Damp rich woods. Rare near the coast and in eastern 

 Connecticut: Scotland (G. Waldo), Guilford (G. H. Bart- 

 lett), Orange (Plarger), Bridgeport (Eames). Becoming 

 occasional northward and westward. April — May. 



The bark is very tough and was formerly used by the 

 Indians for thongs. Medicinal. 



LYTHRACEAE. LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY. 



ROTALA L. 



Rotala ramosior (L.) Koehne (very branching). 



Rare or local. Moist meadows and shores of ponds : Gris- 

 wold (Harger & Graves), Stratford, Milford and Bridgeport 

 (Eames) . July — Sept. 



DECODON J. F. Gmel. Swamp Loosestrife. 



Decodon verticillatus (L.) Ell. (whorled). 

 Water Willow. Swamp Loosestrife. 



Local or frequent. Shallow water of swamps or edges 

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