DECANDRIA. PENTAGYNIA. 55 



180. AGROSTEMMA. Nutt. Gen. 41S. 



[Gr. Agros, a field, and Stemma, a crown, or garland; from the beauty of some of tl.e species.] 

 CAL. 1 leaved, coriaceous, tubular, summit 5 cleft. Cor. petals 5, unguiculate; limb obtuse. Caps- 1 celled. 



A. GiTKAGo. Ph. Hirsute; calyx-teeth linear-lanceolate, longer than the corolla; petals entire, naked. 



Vulgo—Cockle. Corn Cockle. 



Fl. Middle of June. Fr. mat. Middle of July. 



ffab. Grain fields; chiefly among wheat and rye: frequent. 2 to 4 feet high: flowers purple. 



Obs. This unwelcome foreigner is diligently rooted out of our grain fields every year- but it still 

 maintains its ground. When abundant among wheat, its black seeds injure the quality of the 'fiour. 



181. PENTHORUM. Nutt. Gen. 421. 



[Gr. Pente, five, and Ot^os, a column; alluding to the five conic beaks of the capsule.] 



Cal. 5 to 10 cleft. CoR. petals 5, or 0. Caps. 5-cuspiJate, 5 celled. Seeds numerous, minute. 



p. SEDOiDEs. Ell. Stem branching, angled; leaves lanceolate, subsessile, serrate; spikes secund, 



lu/g-o— Virginian Stone-crop. Virginian Orpine. 



FL 'Lnst of July till September. Fr. mat. Beginning of October. 



2Jab. Swampy rivulets, ditches, kc frequent. 12 to 18 inches high; flowers yellowish green. 



ORDER, DECAGYNIA. 



182. PHYTOLACCA. Nutt. Gen. 421. 



£Gr. Phyion, a plant, and Lacca, a barbarous word meaning lakej a substance the color of its berries. 1 

 Cal. 0. Cor. petals 5, calycine- Berry superior, 10 celled, 10 seeded. 



p. DECATSTDRA. EH. Branching; glabrous; leaves ovate-lanceolate, acute at each end- 

 F((/g-o— Poke. Poke-berry bush. Pigeon-berry. 



Fl. I^ast of June till September. Fr. mat. Beginning of September, and after. 



Hub. Rich banks; by fences, rotten logs, &c. common. 4 to 6feet high: flowers white; fruit dark purple. 

 Obs. The young shoots are much use 1, in tlie spring, as a substitute for asparagus. The root is endo^-ed 

 with active medical properties; but is seldom employed, here. See Barton's Collections^ Bi-e'oiirs Mer' 

 ieal Botany, kc. The ripe berries artord a handsome purple coloring matter; and have been ^ ■-•'•c' n''inr 

 ture, as a remedy in chronic rheumatism. ""'■ " ' 



CLASS XL POLYANDEIA. 



ORDBR, M02fOa*^HIA. 



Flowers mostly Interior. 



183. TILIA. Nutt. Gen. 454. 

 fEtymology obscure: fortasse "a <c/am, quia ejus lignum telis faciendis inservit.'' Bocrh.'[ 

 Cal. 5 parted, deciduous. Cor. petals 5. Caps, globose, coriaceous, or horny, 1 seeded, opening at base . 



T. GLABRA. Ell. Leaves roundish-cordate, acutely serrate, abruptly acuminate, glabrous- nut ova!. 

 Hymn. T. americana. IVilld. Ms. Arb. T. canadensis. Mx. Fl. Am. J a/go— Linn, or Linden. Eass wocl 

 r/. Latter end of Jimc. i>. ma^ Beginning of October. 



Bab. Along Brandywinc, frequent: rare daewhere. 40, to GO and SO feet high: flowers yellowish white. 

 Oi^. The Tiliainay be easily reco.n.ized by its singular mode of inflorescence,-the peduncle beinj: 

 ^ODlewhat gemculatdy attaciied to the m.Mle ot an oblong, membranaceous bracte; and tlu r.re toir- La«<^ 

 apparently adnate to or lailicr con.stitutm?-. the Kuddle rib of the same. Tlie leaves of thi. 'species are 

 olten obhq.iely truncate at base. It IS a ha.uUome,stuidy tree, and much sought after to plant in front of 

 hmises.-especially m towiis^ 1 he wood is white und soU, and is oft-n wrought into ludles, snoons, and 

 other utensils. Mic h.ux (A,h. Forest.) infouns us th.a the iibrous bark of "the trunk, wh.n 'mace .rt" 

 and p ep.ued, is used in .^ome part.s of the IT S. ,n making a coarse cordage for domestic rurr.oses. The 

 ^aHs teT, r'^rnSr^'V-/^^^^^ '^^^^' Avaler,'lor' burns Ld 



