44 HEXANDRIA. TRIGYNIA. 



I-I. ASTfirsTiFouA. Eil Leavcs Ipfigj linear? acutc; raceme oblong, lax; capsules oblong; seeds linear. 



Fl. Beginning; of Ai!g.u?t: F^-. mat. 



Hah. Dry hills: Buck Run: rsrc. About 2 feet high: flowers gi-eenish white. 



Obs- I have not met with this species in the immediate vicinity of West-Chester- I am indebted for mj 

 specimen to Dr. Seal, who collected it on a dry, laurel hill, near Abishai CJlark's— about ten miles from 

 this place. 



147. GYROMIA. NuU. Gen. S51. 

 [Gr. Gyros, a circle; in reference to its verticillate Iea%'es.] 



Cat,. 0, Cor. deeply 6parted, revolute. Stig. 3, sessile, long, recurved. Berry 3 celkd; cells 5 or 6 seeded. 



G. viRGTNifA. Nxitt. Leav-es in a verticil on the stem, 5 to 9; at summ.it mostly in S's; flowers terminal. 

 Synon. Jledeola virginica. IVilld. Mx- MvJil. Ell. &c. Fu/go— Cucumber root. Indian Cucumber. 

 Fl. Latter end of May. F>. mat. Beginning of September. 



Ilab. Shndec', moist grounds: frequent. 1 to 2 feet high: flowers greenish yellow; berries dark purple. 



Obs. The root is a delicate, white, oblong tuber, somewhat resembling the cuenmber, in flavor; and said 

 to be diureiic in its properties. The flowers are nodding; but when in fruit, the peduncles become erect. 



14S. TRILLIUM. Ntiit. Gen. 332. 

 [Lat. Trilix, triple; alluding to the prevalence of the number ihree, in the leaves, and other parts.] 



Cal. 3 leaved, spreading. Cor. 3 petalled. S'fig-jnas 3, sessile, recurved Berry 3 celled. 

 T. PENDULtTM. Niitt. Leaves rhomboidal, acuminate, subsessile; flower pendulous; petals flat, ovata. 

 Synon. T. cernuum. Ph. Bigelow. Bart. Fl. Phil. &c. FuZgo— Three-leaved Night-shade. 

 Fl. Middle of May. Fr. mat. Middle of August. 



Hab- Moist, shaded grounds; Bath, Stc. frequent. About 1 foot high: flowerswhite; berries pnrple- 



Obs. Our northern botanists seem to have been led into a mistake, relative to this plant, by adopting 

 Pursh's error: and even IVIr. Elliott has not altogether escaped its influence— as appears by the following 

 Bote of my lamented friend, Dr. Baldwin; wliich note he left in ray copy of Elliott's Sketch, during hi» 

 last visit to me, in 1818. 



" The Trillium ccrnuvm, of Pursh. and other modern botanists, is entirely distinct from Catesby's plant; 

 which has only been found in the Southern Stales. The Pennsylvanian plant is the T. pendulum, of the 

 late Dr. Muhlenberg. That sagacious botanist had never seen the true cerjiuMm, until sent to him by me, 

 jn 1S12. Mr. Elliott has, unfortunately, by copying the error of Pursh, rendered confusion worse confound- 

 ed. The cerw.um of Pursh, is the pendulum, oi Elliott, — wliich, I suspect, is not found in the southern 

 states, at all. The cernuum, of Elliott, is probably a new species; (or it may be a variety of the pendulum, 

 ("xtending toCafolina— compare the fruit, &c.) while he has unfortunately given the name of Catesbai to. 

 the true one. Mr. Tvuttall appears to be correct. " 



149. RUMEX. NuU. Gen. 353. 

 [I^?.t. Rw.Fx, a pike, or spear; from the shape of the leaves of some species.] 



Cal. 3 leaved. Cor. 3 petalled, conniTcnt, persistent. iS/igmas raultifid. 5efd 1, tiiqiielrous. 

 R. CRI.SPI-IS. Ell. Petals entire, all dorsally granifcrous; leaves lanceolate, curled,, acute. 

 FK'go— Sour Dock. C-iricd Dock. 



Fl Latter end of IMay, and after. Fr- mat- .Tuly, and after. 



Mab. Pastures, and meadows; common. 2 to T. feet high: flowers green. 



Ohs. A naturalized foreigner: and a troublesome plant, in our meadows, &c. The radical leaves are often 

 collected, in the sprinf; of the year, and boiled for " greens;" aflfordini; a wholesome vegetable dish for the 

 tnlile. The root is sr.id to have "been found an useful application to cancerous sores; but I have no knowledge 

 of its eflicacy. 



K oETUsiFOLir." . Sm. Fl. Brif- Outer petal chiefly dentate, and graniferous; radical leaves cordate, obtuse. 

 Vulgo — Commfi broad-leaved Dock. Bitter Dock. 



Fl. Latter end of June, end after. Fr. mat. Aus;".';!, and after. 



Hab. Gra-ss lots, gardens, and meadows: frequent. 2 to feet 4 high. 

 Obs. An obnoxious and troublesome foreign weed; but not so common as R. crispus. 



R. ACKT05ELI..A. EH. Dioicous; petals not graniierous; leaves lanceolate-hastate. 



Vulgo — Sheep Sorrel. Field Sorrel. 



Fl. Middle of May, and after; Fr. mat. August, and after. 



Hab. Sandy, sterile fields; about old stim^ps, ^vc. common. 6 to 12 inciies high: flowers yellowish green. 



Obs. The raccmff. after flowering, often as?un^o a red color. The whole plant is highly acid; and may 

 be uscfulj as is taidj in scurvy, and Boniu oihev forms of distate. 



