©r NORTH AMERICA 101 



pand, middle lobe often trifid ; flowers axillary, 

 geminate or ternate subsessile — in Florida and 

 Georgia, where first discovered by Dr. Boykin 

 and called Melothria sessilis^ but never pub- 

 lished. Stem slender 3 or 4 feet high, climbing 

 with tendrils, leaves 2 or 3 inches broad and 

 long, flowers green very minute, berries not seen 

 probably oval and black as in Melothria. 

 SAMOLIDES. 



I coifclude by 3 new plants of this family of 

 mine established 1815 . . , which is now greatly 

 increased since all the Houstonias, some Hedy- 

 otis and several presumed Rubiacea will belong 

 thereto. Decandole has by mistake deemed the 

 Houstonias of Gentianides tribe, because he 

 found the stamens opposite to corolla ; but then 

 Saraolus which is lately put with Primulacea, 

 should al^o rank with Gentians ; yet the Samo- 

 lides differ by adherent or inferior ovary as in 

 Rubiacea, and these differ only by alternate sta- 

 mens, essential character, little attended to till 

 noticed by Jussieu in several families, but over- 

 looked ' in Houstonia and Gentians. Every 

 Gehus with stamens isoperial or equal in num- 

 ber to segments of corolla^ must be verified and 

 ascertained if opposite thereto. — The Oldenlan- 

 dia or Hedyotis uniflora is a Samolides and a pe- 

 culiar G. my Edrastima unijlora. The CX or 

 H. glomerata is another G. with unequal calix, 

 my SUlmotis glomerata. 



998. Houstonia biloba Raf. dwarf dicho-? 

 tome leaves linear oblong acute, lower petiolate; 

 flowers axilary, peduncles equal to leaves, co- 

 rolla tube campanulate, limb patent, capsule 

 compressed obcordate bilobe — in Arkanzas, 

 small plant 1 or 2 inches high, leaves 2 or 3 

 lines long, flowers red, segments of calix linear; 



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