128 LYTHRACE.E. (LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY.) 



1. AMUIA1V1VIA, Houston. AMMAXXIA. 



Calyx globular or bell-shaped, 4-angled, 4-toothul, with a little horn-shaped 

 appendage ut each sinus. Petals 4 (purplish), small and deciduous, sometimes 

 wanting. Stamens 4, short. Pod globular, 4-celled. Low arid inconspicuous 

 smooth herbs, with opposite narrow leaves, and small greenish flowers in their 

 axils. (Nanu-d afW Ainmt/mi, a Russian botanist anterior to Linna-us.) 



1. A. llllinilis, Miclix. Leaves lanceolate or linear-oblong, tapering into a 

 slit;ht !><-ii<>lc, or the base somewhat arrow-shaped; flowers solitary or 3 together 

 in the axils of the leaves, ses.-ilo ; style very short. Low and wet places, 

 from Massachusetts and Micliigan southward. July - Sept. 



2. A. lalifoli.'l, L. Leaves linear-lanceolate (2' -3' long), mth a broad 

 auricled sessile base; style mostly slender. Ohio, Illinois, and southward. 



2. L, If Til RUM", L. LOOSESTRIFE. 



Calyx cylindrical, striate, 4 - 7-toothed, with as many little processes in the 

 sinuses. Petals 4-7. Stamens as many as the petals or twiee the number, in- 

 serted low down on the calyx, commonly nearly equal. Pod oblong, 2-celled. * 

 Slender herbs, with opposite or scattered mostly sessile leaves, and purple 

 (rarely white) flowers. (Name from Xv#poi/, blood ; perhaps from the crimson 

 blossoms of some species.) 



* Stamens and petals 5 - 7 : flowers small, solitary and nearly sessile in the axils of 

 tltc, mostly scattered upper leaves : proper calyx-teeth often shorter than the interme- 

 diate jirwcuscti : plants smooth. 



1. L.. JLrssoi'iFdLiA, L. Low (6' -10' high), pale; leaves oblong-linear, ob- 

 tuse, longer than the inconspicuous flowers; petals (pale purple) 5-6. (D 

 Marshes, coast of Massachusetts, &c. (Nat. from Eu. "?) 



2. li. alutmil, Pursh. Tall and wand-like ; branches with margined 

 angles ; leaves ran/ing from oblong-ovate to lanceolate, the upper not longer than the 

 flowers ; petals (deep purple) 6. 1|. Michigan, Wisconsin, and southward. 



3. L.. lilieare, L. Stem slender and tall, bushy at the top, tico of the 

 amfft's margined ; Icarus lint-ar, short, chiefly opposite, obtuse, or the upper acute 

 and scarcely exceeding the flowers; calyx obscurely striate; petals (whitish) 6. 

 1J. Brackish marshes, N. Jersey and southward. Aug. Stem 3 -4 high. 



* * Stamens 12-14, tn-ice tin: number of the petals, half of them smut t>' we* much 



slinrtrr : flowcn lnrt/f, crowded and ichorlcd in (tn l/i/i-rrn/ifrd wand-like npilcc.. 



4. L. Salicaria, L. (SPIKED LOOSESTRIFE.) Leaves lanceolate, 

 heart-shaped at the base, sometimes whorlcd in threes. Wet meadows, Eastern 

 New England, and Orange County, New York : also cultivated. July. Plant 

 more or less downy, tall : flowers large, purple. (Eu.) 



3. NESjlEA, Commcrson, Juss. SWAMP LOOSESTRIFE. 



Calyx short, broadly hell-shaped or hemispherical, with 5-7 er ct teeth and 

 as many longer and spreading horn-like processes at the sinuses. Petals 5. 

 Stamens 10-14, exscrtcd. Pod globose, 3 -5-celled. Perennial herbs or 

 slightly shrubby plants, with opposite or whorled leaves, and axillary flowers. 



