176 MELASTOMA FAMILY. 



XLV. MELASTOMACEiE, MELASTOMA FAMILY. 



Plants with opposite and simple 3-7-ribbed leaves, no stip- 

 ules, as many or twice as many stamens as petals, both inserted 

 in the throat of the calyx, anthers usually of peculiar shape, 

 and opening by a small hole at the apex. Flowers usually 

 handsome, but mostly scentless. None in common cultiva- 

 tion. 



1. RHEXIA, DEERGRASS, MEADOW BEAUTY. (Name Greek, 

 application obscure.) Low, erect herbs of wet or sandy ground, com- 

 moner S. , often bristly, at least on the margins of the sessile (or nearly 

 so) 3-5-ribbed leaves, with handsome flowers in a terminal cyme or 

 panicle. Tube of the calyx urn-shapetl, adherent to the lower part of 

 the 4-celled ovary and continued beyond it into a short 4-toothed cup, 

 persistent ; petals 4, obovate ; stamens 8, with anthers opening by a 

 single, minute hole ; style slender ; stigma simple ; seeds numerous in 

 the pod, coiled like minute snail shells. Elowers summer. 2/ 



* Anthers linear and curced, with a sac-like base and usually a minute 

 spur; flowers in a panicle or loose cyme, peduncled. 



R. Virglnica, Linn. The common species N. in sandy swamps ; 6'- 

 20' liigl), with square stem almost winged at the angles ; ovate or lance-oval 

 leaves, gland, tipped hairs, and large, pink-purple flowers. 



R. arist6sa, Britt. Branches more or less wing-angled ; leaves linear- 

 oblong, not narrowed at base, the hairs few and not glandular ; flowers 

 britflit purple ; the petals sparsely villous. N. J. to S. Car. 



R. Mariana, Linn. 10'-24' high, with terete or 6-angled, branching 

 stem ; linear or lance-oblong leaves narrowed at base, and pale purple 

 flowers liairy outside. N. J. and Ky., S. 



R. glabella, Michx. Smooth, with a simple slender stem, lanceolate, 

 glauc^iius leaves, and large bright purple flowers. Pine barrens S. 



R. stricta, Pursh. Stem tall and smooth, 4-winged, hairy at the 

 joints ; leaves lanceolate or nearly so and acute, 5-ribbed, bristly-serrate ; 

 flowers purple in a compound cyme, the calyx smooth and urn-shaped 

 with lanceolate lobes. Pine barrens, Ga., S. and W. 



* * Anthers oblong and straight, destitute of any appendage. 



■*- Flowers purple, few or solitary ; leaves small {rarely V long) , rounded- 

 ovate, ciliate with long bnstles ; stem square, smooth. 



R. cilidsa, Michx. Stem 10'-12' high ; leaves bristly on the upper 

 face ; and calyx smooth. Bogs in pine barrens from Md. , S. 



R. serrulita, Nutt. Stem .3-6' high; leaves smooth above ; calyx 

 bristly. Bog in pine barrens, Ga. and S. 



^- t- Flowers yellow, small, numerous, not casting the petals early, as do 

 the others ; stem ^-angled, bristly, bushy branched above. 



R. Ititea, Walter. Stem 1° high, bristly ; leaves lanceolate, or the 

 lower obovate, bristly-serrulate but smooth, acute ; calyx smooth. N. 

 Car., S. and W. 



