574 HYPERICACEAE (ST. JOHN's-WOKT FAMILY; 



4. BRATHYDIUM (Spach) Endl. Similar to 3 ; pod \-celled, with 3 



parietal placentae. 



11. H. dolabrif6rme Vent. Stems branched from the decumbent base, woody 

 below, 1.5-5 dm. high, terete ; leaves linear-lanceolate, widely spreading, vein- 

 less ; cyme leafy, few-flowered ; sepals oblong or ovate-lanceolate, about the 

 length of the very oblique petals (1-1.2 cm. long) ; pods ovoid-conical, the walls 

 very thick and hard. Dry hills and rocks, barrens of Ky. and Tenn. June- 

 Aug. 



12. H. Bissellii Robinson. Stems subsimple or with short ascending branches, 

 somewhat woody below, 4-5 dm. high ; leaves narrowly obln)i<i, ohtusish, as- 

 cending, 2.5-3.5 cm. long, 3-5 mm. wide, 1-nerved, deep green above, pale 

 beneath; cyme about 20-flowered, leafy-bracted, the bracts ovate; flowers 1.-"> 

 cm. broad; sepals very unequal, the largest broad-ovate, 1.3 cm. /</>/</, 8 mm. 

 wide, subcordate, acuminate ; petals oblong-obovate, obli(iue, with a macro on 

 one side near the tip. Southington, Ct. (llissell). 



13. H. cistif61ium Lam. Stems mostly simple, herbaceous. 3-5 dm. high, 

 with a somewhat woody base, angled with 4 very narrow .salient lines; leaves 

 narrowly oblong to nearly linear, 3-7 cm. long, sessile with a somewhat clasping 

 base; the cyme naked, compound, usually many-flowered: xep<tl* orate; - t ,o<h 

 depressed-globular or ovoid-conical; seeds large, oblong, very rough-pitted. 

 (H. sphaerocarpum Michx.) Rocky river-banks, s. w. O. to la., and south w. 

 July-Sept. Flowers small. 



14. H. ellipticum Hook. Stem simple, herbaceous, 2-5 dm. high, obscurely 

 4-angled, from a slender creeping stoloniferous base; leaves spreading, elliptical- 

 oblong, obtuse, usually narrower toward the subclasping base, thin ; cyme nearly 

 naked, rather few-flowered ; petals bright yellow, 0-10 mm. long ; sepals oblnnj ; 

 pods ovoid, very obtuse; seeds minutely striate. Wet places, N. B. to Man., 

 s. to Pa., Mich., Wise., and Minn. July, Aug. Aberrant plants often have 

 small red or purplish petals. 



5. BRATHYS (Mutis) Choisy, Stamens distinct or in 3 clusters; pod 

 1-celled, with 3 strictly parietal placentae; styles short, distinct, with capi- 

 tate stigmas ; petals small, ooloixj or linear; sepals narrow, erect; slemli-r 

 plants, with 4-angular branches, flowering all summer. 



* Stamens co . 



15. H. virg^tum Lam. Stem slender, strict, simple, sharply 4-angled. her- 

 baceous, 3-6 dm. high ; leaves ascending, opaque, ovate or oblong-lanceolate, 

 acute, 1.5-2.7 cm. long, closely sessile by a broad base ; inflorescence common ml . 

 naked, the scattered flowers racemose on its ascending )>r<mch<^ : petals eopper- 

 yellow, 8-10 mm. long ; sepals herbaceous, erect, inclosing the ovoid pod. {H. 

 angulosum Michx.) Wet pine barrens, Pa. to Ga., westw. to O., Ky., and 

 (?) 111. July-Sept. 



Var. ovalifolium Britton. Leaves oval, erect, 1-1.8 cm. long, more than halt' 

 as broad. Pine barrens, N. J. and southw. 



** Stamens 6-12. 



t- Stem simple or loosely l>ranchl ; i,- ( tn* linir to omt, . 



10. H. boreale (Britton) Bicknell. Perennial; (he sd-ms <l<ciniinint <tn<l 

 IrafU-bracted at base, slender, 6-30 cm. high (rai-ely submersed and very elou- 

 uate) ; leaves elliptic, rounded at tip. wxxih-. .".--20 niin. long, .".-^-nerved ; cymes 

 leafy-bracted, all the bracts foliaceous ata! l>r<Hl; ])clicels short ; sepals linear. 

 blunt, shorter than the rowubd slmrt r/////sM/W /><>,! (;j-5 mm. Inny). (H. c<mn- 

 dense, var. minimum Man. ed. 0.) Bo-s, margins ot ponds, etc., Nfd. to \\. 

 Out., s. to N. J., Pa., O., and Ind. July, Au- 



17. H. m^tilum L. Stem flaccid, widely branching, annual, or perennial 

 with leafy In-acted decumbent bases; leaves oral,' t<> //?///""/// nbhnitj, obtuse. 

 P'trthi rlnsjiinf/, 5-nerved ; cyme (in well developed plants) diffuse, somewhat 

 leafy-bracted, tin- nit! mate bracts setaceous; flowers 4 mm. broad ; sepals linear- 



