154 LYTHRAIUE^. [Lythrum. 



1. LY'THRUM, L. Loosestrife. 



Herbs or shrubs, branches 4-angled. Leaves opposite, whorled or alter- 

 nate, quite entire. Flowers axillary, red or purple, honeyed. Calyx-tube 

 cylindric, straight ; teeth and ribs 8-12. Petals 4-6, sometimes unequal 

 or 0. Sta7nens 8-12, 1-2- seriate in the calyx-tube, filaments filiform often 

 decimate. Ovary sessile, 2-celled ; style filiform, stigma obtuse ; ovules 

 very many. Capsule 1-2-celled, septicidally 2-valved or bursting irregularly. 

 Seeds plano-convex or angular. — Distrib. Temp, and trop. regions ;. 

 species 12. — Etym. \v6pov, gore, from the blood-red flowers. 



1. Ii. Salica'ria, L. ; leaves opposite or whorled lanceolate cordate at 

 the base, flowers whorled 3-morphic, stamens 12. 



River-banks and ditches, &c, from Argyll and Perth southd. ; Ireland ; Chan- 

 nel Islands ; fl. July-Sept.— Glabrous and pubescent, llootstock creeping. 

 Stem 2-5 ft., branched, 4-6-angled or winged. Leaves 2-5 in., often 3-4 in a 

 whorl, acute. Cymes glomerate, in terminal spiked racemes. Flowers f-1 

 in. diam., red-purple, homogamous ; bracts small or 0. Calyx-tube % in., 

 12-ribbed, outer-teeth lanceolate longer than the inner. Petals narrow- 

 oblong, wrinkled. Capsule ovoid. — Distrib. Temp. N. regions (Arctic), 

 Australia. — Flowers trimorphic in respect of length of style and of filaments 

 and of size of pollen in 3 sets of individuals. Of those growing by the 

 Thames at Kew, the long-styled is glabrous, slender, with small narrow 

 leaves, and bright flowers ; that with very short styles is a larger, coarser, 

 very pubescent plant, with dull purple flowers. — The 3 forms have — 1, Long 

 style, medium stamens, medium yellow pollen. — 2. Long style, short 

 stamens, small yellow pollen. — 3. Medium style, long stamens, large 

 green pollen. — 4. Medium style, short stamens, small yellow pollen. — 

 5. Short style, long stamens, large green pollen.— 6. Short style, medium 

 stamens, medium yellow pollen. — These admit of 9 modes of cross-fertili- 

 zation. 



2. Ii. hyssopifo'lia, L. ; leaves chiefly alternate linear-lanceolate, 

 flowers solitary homomorphic, stamens about 6. 



Moist places, often inundated, very local, Northampt., Cambridge, Norfolk, 

 Herts, Cornwall ; Channel Islands ; fl. June-Sept.— Glabrous, annual. St tin 

 §-l| ft., prostrate or ascending. Leaves |-1 in., sessile, cuneate at the base, 

 very narrow. Flowers small, pink. Calyx 2-bracteolate ; teeth subulate, 

 subequal. Petals oblong. Capsule cylindric. — Distrib. From Hanover, 

 southd., N. and S. Africa, N.and "VV. Asia, India, America. 



2. PEP'LIS, L. Water-Purslane. 



Small weak annual herbs. Leaves alternate and opposite, quite entire. 

 Flowers minute, axillary, subsessile, 2-bracteolate. Calyx campanulate, 

 6-lobed, with as many alternate spreading teeth. Petals 6, in the throat 

 of the calyx, fugacious, or 0. Stamens 6 or 12, in the middle of the calyx - 

 tube. Ovary subglobose, membranous, 2-celled ; style short, stigma capi- 

 tate ; ovules very many, placentas on the septum semicylindric. Capsule 

 2-celled, 2-valved, or bursting irregularly, many-seeded. Seeds minute, 



