660 GENTIANACEAE (GENTIAN FAMILY) 



ligneous base, with numerous mostly opposite or subopposite subulate scales 

 below ; the branches or peduncles chiefly opposite, 1-few-flowered ; flowers yel- 

 lowish-white ; corolla-lobes oblong, commonly denticulate, obtusish to rounded 

 at the apex ; stigma columnar, about 1 mm. long. (B. tenella Muhl.) Sandy 

 or boggy places, N. S. to Minn., and south w. July-Sept. 



* * Corolla-lobes lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or acutish, essentially 



entire. 



:>. B. paniculata (Michx.) Robinson. Tall and very slender, 2-4 dm. high, 

 more apt to be irregularly and paniculately branched above, but mostly simple 

 at the base ; branches and leaf-scales often alternate ; the peduncles curved- 

 ascending ; flowers 2-4(-5) mm. long; corolla-lobes lanceolate, acute, yellow- 

 ish- or greenish-white, about twice as long as the narrowly lanceolate calyx-lobes ; 

 stigma short, scarcely columnar, 0.6 ram. in length ; anthers yellow. (J3. lance- 

 olata Small ; Centaurella paniculata Michx. ; C. Moseri Steud. Hochstetter.) 

 Wet sandy woods, swamps, etc., e. Mass, to Fla. and La. Aug. -Oct. 



4. B. iodandra Robinson. Dwarf and subsimple, 1-2 dm. high ; scales few 

 and often alternate as are the rather long curved-ascending peduncles ; flowers 

 for the most part nearly twice as large as in the preceding, purplish-tinged, 6 

 mm. long; corolla-lobes ovate-lanceolate, acutish, about twice the length of 

 the lance-oblong calyx-lobes; anthers chiefly brownish-purple ; stigma short. 

 Sphagnous bogs, Nfd. and N. S. Aug., Sept. 



8. OBOLARIA L. PKNNYWORT 



Calyx of 2 spatulate spreading sepals, resembling the leaves. Corolla wither- 

 ing-persistent ; the lobes oval-oblong, or with age spatulate, imbricated in the 

 bud ! Stamens inserted at the sinuses of the corolla, short. Style short, per- 

 sistent ; stigma 2-lipped. Capsule ovoid, 1-celled, the cell cruciform ; the seeds 

 covering the whole face of the walls. A low and very smooth purplish-green 

 perennial 6-15 cm. high, with a simple or sparingly branched stem, opposite 

 wedge-obovate leaves; the dull white or purplish flowers solitary or in clusters 

 of three, terminal and axillary, nearly sessile, in spring. (Name from <5/So\6s', 

 a small Greek coin, from the thick rounded leaves.) 



1. 0. virginica L. Herbaceous and rather fleshy, the lower leaves scale-like ; 

 flowers 1 cm. long. Moist woods, N. J. to 111., s. to Ga. and Tex. Mar.-May. 



9. MENYANTHES [Tourn.] L. Bi CKHKAN 



Calyx 5-parted. Corolla short funnel-form, 5-cleft, deciduous, the whole 

 upper surface white-bearded. Style slender, persistent ; stigma 2-lobed. Capsule 

 bursting somewhat irregularly, many-seeded. Seed-coat hard, smooth and 

 shining. A perennial herb, with a thickish creeping rootstock, sheathed by 

 the membranous bases of the long petioles, which bear 3 oval or oblong 

 leaflets; the flowers racemed on the naked scape (1-3 dm. high), white or 

 slightly reddish. (The ancient Theophrastiau nfne, probably from /JLJJV, month, 

 and &i>0os, njjinrcr. some say from its flowering for about that time.) 



1. M. trifoliata L. Bogs and shallow water, Lai), to Alaska, s. to N. J., 

 1'a.. (Jreat L. region, la., etc. Apr.-June. (Eurasia.) 



10. NYMPHOtDES [Tourn.] Hill. FLOATING HEART 



Calyx 5-parted. Corolla almost wheel-shaped, -Vparted, the divisions bearing 

 a ulandular appenda-r near the base. Style short or none ; stigma 2-lobed, 

 persistent. Capsule tew-many-seeded, at length bursting irregularly. Seed-coat 

 hard. Perennial aquatics, with floating leaves on very long petioles, which, 



inmost species, bear near the summit the umbel of polygamous tlowers. often 

 along with a cluster of short, and spur-like roots ; tlowt-ring all summer. (Name 

 from \tn,ti>litit><i and t^iK. <ii>)n'<i>-<tin-r.) LIMNANTIII.MI M S. 1'. (Imel. 



1. N. lacunbsum (Vent.) Fernald. Floating leaves round-heart-shaped, 1.5-tf 



