38 NORTH AMERICAN 



290. Phuyma pubescens Raf. pubescent, 

 leaves subsessile ovate or elliptic, subcordate 

 acuminate ciliate unequally crenate, last pair 

 entire, bracts subulate equal to calix — Allegha- 

 ny mts. pedal, flowers purplish. 



291. Phryma parvifolia Raf. smooth, 

 leaves all petiolate ovate oblong equally serrate 

 bracts shorter than calix — Alleghany mts. pe- 

 dal, leaves small uncial, flowers white. 



292. Phryma leptostachya L. ^c. smooth, 

 leaves diffbrme lower petiolate ovate base acute 

 deeply serrate, upper sessile ovate often en- 

 tire, bracts equal to calix — the most common 

 kind, from New York to CaroHna, 1 or 2 feet 

 high. If all the above are mere varieties of 

 this, they aflbrd a fine illustration of incipient 

 species forming under our eyes in our woods. 



293. THECANISIA Raf a N. G. of Spi- 

 rea tribe, near to Filipendula — cal, 5fid. per- 

 sistent reflexed, petals 5, stamens few 12 to 15, 

 pistils 3-5 stipitate with a style, stigma capitate. 

 Fruit 1 to 5 thecas unequal stipitate oblong 1- 

 3seeded. Herbaceous perennial plants with 

 lohed or palmate leaves subpinnate^ stipulate, 



flowers paniculate. — The essential character 

 besides habit is found in the stipitate unequal 

 pistils and fruits, the types are Spirea lobata 

 and discolor, but others probably belong here, 

 and I add two. The name means unequal 

 thecas. 



294. Thecanisia lobata Raf Spir. do Au- 

 thors leaves subpinnate smooth, folioles Slobed, 

 the last 71obed, lobes lanceolate doubly serrate, 

 panicle cymose compound — from Carolina to 

 Alabama in hills, large plant 3 to 4 feet high, 

 flowers rose colored. 



295. Thecanisia fonpurea Raf. stem stri- 



