POLEMONIACEAE (POLEMONIUM FAMILY) 673 



The commonest of our species. Very variable in size and compactness of 



clusters. 



10. C. rostrata 8huttlw. Similar to the preceding ; flowers larger (4-6 mm. 

 long), more delicate and whiter; lobes of corolla and calyx shorter than the 

 tubes ; slender styles longer ; ovary bottle-shaped ; capsule long-pointed. — Shady 

 valleys in the mts., Md. and Va., south w.; on tall herbs, rarely shrubs. 



*** Sepals 5, distinct, surrounded by 2 or more similar bracts ; styles capillary; 

 scales large, deeply fringed ; capsule capped by the marcescent corolla. 



11. C. cuspidata Engelm. Stems slender ; flowers 3-5 mm. long, thin, on 

 bracteolate pedicels in loose panicles ; the ovate-orbicular bracts and sepals and 

 the oblong corolla-lobes cuspidate or mucronate, rarely obtuse, shorter than the 

 cylindrical tube ; styles many times longer than the ovary, at length exserted. — 

 Wet or dry prairies, on Ambrosia, Iva, some Leguminosae, etc.. Neb. to Mo. 

 and Tex. 



12. C. compacta Juss. Stems coarse ; flowers closely sessile in densely com- 

 pact clusters; bracts (3-5) a7id sepals orbicular, concave, slightly crenate, ap- 

 pressed, nearly equaling or much shorter than the cylindrical tube of the corolla ; 

 stamens shorter than the oblong obtuse spreading lobes of the latter. — In damp 

 woods, almost always on shrubs, Mass. to Ont., and south w. 



13. C. glomerata Chois. Flowers very densely clustered, forming knotty 

 masses closely encircling the stem of the foster plant, much imbricated with 

 scarious oblong bracts, thpir tips recurved-spreading ; sepals nearly similar, 

 shorter than the short-cylindrical tube of the corolla ; stamens nearly as long 

 as the oblong-lanceolate obtuse spreading or reflexed corolla-lobes ; style several 

 times longer than the ovary. (C. paradoxa Raf. ?) — Wet prairies, O. to Minn., 

 Kan., and Tex., mostly on tall Compositae. — The rope-like twists (1-3 cm. 

 thick) of white flowers, with golden yellow anthers imbedded in a mass of curly 

 bracts, have a singular appearance. 



POLEMONIACEAE (Polemonium Family) 



Herbs, with alternate or opposite leaves, regular 5-merous and b-androus 

 flowers, the lobes of the corolla convolute in the bud, a Z-ceUed ovary and S-lobed 

 style; capsule S-celled, S-valved, loculicidal, few-many-seeded ; the valves usu- 

 ally breaking away from the triangular central column. Seeds amphitropous, 

 the coat frequently mucilaginous when moistened and emitting spiral threads. 

 Embryo straight, in the axis of copious albumen. Calyx persistent, imbricated. 

 Corolla with a 5-parted border. Anthers introrse. — Insipid and innocent 

 plants, many ornamental and in cultivation. 



1. Phlox. Corolla salver-form. Calyx slender. Leaves opposite, entire. 



2. Gilia. Corolla tubular-funnel-form or salver-form. Calyx slender, partly scarious. Leaves 



mostly alternate. 



3. Polemonium. Corolla open-bell-shaped. Calyx herbaceous, bell-shaped. Filaments slender, 



equal. Leaves alternate, pinnate or pinnately parted. 



1. phl6x l. 



Calyx somewhat prismatic, or plaited and angled. Corolla with a long tube. 

 Stamens very unequally inserted in the tube of the corolla, included. Capsule 

 ovoid, with sometimes 2 ovules but ripening only a single seed in each cell. — 

 Perennials (except a few southern species), with opposite and sessile perfectly 

 entire leaves, the floral often alternate Flowers cymose, mostly bracted ; tlie 

 open clusters terminal or crowded in the upper axils. {^\6^, flame, an ancient 

 name of Lychnis, transferred to this North American genus.) Most of our 

 species are cultivated in gardens. 



gray's manual — 43 



