366 



RUBIACEAE. 



2. Spermacoce tetraquetra 

 A. Rich. Hairy Spermacoce. 

 (Fig. 397.) Stouter and larger 

 than S. tenuior, sometimes 2° 

 high, densely pubescent nearly all 

 over with long, whitish hairs. 

 Leaves lanceolate to oblong- 

 lanceolate, rather strongly veined, 

 acute at the apex, narowed or 

 obtuse at the base, l'-3' long, 10" 

 wide or less; calyx-lobes lanceo- 

 late, acuminate; corolla white, 

 about twice as long as the calyx- 

 lobes j fruit about 1" long. 



Common in waste and culti- 

 vated grounds. Naturalized. Na- 

 tive of Cuba and the Bahamas. 

 Flowers in summer and autumn. 



8. VAILLANTIA [Tourn.] L. 

 Low, annual branching herbs, 

 with 4-angled stems, and small 

 leaves verticillate in 4's, the very 

 small white or yellowish flowers 3 

 together in the axils, very nearly 

 sessile, the short pedicels connate, thickened and recurved in fruit, the lateral 

 flowers staminate, the middle one perfect. Staminate flowers with an obsolete 

 calyx, a rotate 3-cleft corolla and 3 stamens. Perfect flowers with a nearly 

 globular calyx, a rotate, 4-cleft corolla, 4 stamens with didymous anthers, a 

 2-celled ovary and a 2-divided style; fruit concrete, 3-4-horned, spinulose. 

 [In honor of Sebastian Vaillant, 1669-1722, 

 French botanist.] A few species, natives of 

 southern Europe, northern Africa and western 

 Asia. Type species: F. muralis L. 



1. Vailantia hispida L. Hispid Vaillan- 

 TiA. (Fig. 399.) Branched from the base, the 

 slender branches spreading or ascending, 2-8' 

 long, glabrous or nearly so below and when 

 young throughout, becoming densely hispid 

 with spreading hairs above the lower nodes. 

 Leaves oblong, 5" long or less, obtuse or 

 acutish at the apex, narrowed into short 

 petioles; flowers scarcely 1" long, whitish; 

 fruit with 3 short laciniate horns; seed 

 hemispheric. 



Frequent in grassy places. Naturalized. 

 Native of Europe. Flowers in spring and summer. 



