Lechba. CISTACEiE. 79 



2. Lechea thymifolia, Pursh. Thyme-leaved Lechea. 



Suflfrutescent ; stems assurgent, densely and paniculately branched above, canescently 

 villous (especially the branches) vsfith white appressed hairs ; radical shoots short, nearly erect ; 

 leaves very numerous, and often verticillate ; cauline ones oblanceolate or linear ; those of 

 the floriferous branches narrowly linear with revolute margins, crowded ; of the radical 

 branches elliptical, densely imbricated and very villous ; clusters terminal, and axillary near 

 the extremity of the floriferous branches, 2 — 6-flowered ; pedicels very short ; calyx tomen- 

 tose-canescent ; capsule globose. — Pursh, fl. 1. p. 91 ; Rees, cycl. ? ; Torr. fl. 1. p. 161, 

 not of Michx. ; Torr. <^ Gr. fl. N. Am. p. 153. 



Stem about a foot high, stiff, pyramidally branched above, mostly naked below. Cauline 

 leaves 6-8 lines long, and about a line and a half wide. Flowers rather larger than in the 

 preceding species. 



Sandy margins of swamps, near the sea ; Suffolk county, Long Island. Aug. - September. 



3. Lechea minor, Lam. Smaller Lechea. Pin-weed. 



Stem erect, minutely pubescent with appressed hairs ; radical branches procumbent and 

 hairy, or often none ; leaves linear and lanceolate-linear , the cauline one somewhat oblong, 

 scattered, or sometimes verticillate ; racemes nearly simple ; the flowers on distinct, often 

 appressed pedicels; capsules ovoid-globose. — Lam. ill. t. 52. /. 1 ?; Pursh, fl. I. p. 91 ; 

 Bigel. fl. Bost.p. 48 ; Torr. fl. \.p. 161 ; Hook. fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 73 ; Darlingt.fl. Cest. 

 p. 97; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. l.p. 153 ; not oi Linn, and Smith. L. racemulosa, thymi- 

 folia, and tenuifolia, Michx. fl. I. p. 76. 



var. 1 . gracilis : stem tall and slender, simple or paniculately branched above ; radical 

 branches procumbent and hairy ; leaves linear-lanceolate, or somewhat oblong ; racemes often 

 panicled at the extremity of the branches ; capsules rather large. — Torr. <^ Gr. 1. c. 



var. 2. dumosa : stem low, much, and somewhat fastigiately branched ; leaves linear- 

 lanceolate ; radical branches numerous, slender, with smaller elliptical leaves. 



Stem, in the first variety, a foot or more high, with short branches ; in the other, 5-8 

 inches, with longer branches. Flowers on pedicels 2 lines or more in length. Capsules 

 twice as large as in L. major. Seeds oblong. 



Dry fields, open woods, and hill-sides. June - September. 



I 



