198 ROSACEiE. Spir^a. 



Tribk I. SPIREJE. Juss. 



Calyx campanulate, imbricate, or sometimes valvate in CRstivation. Carpels mostly 5 [rarely 

 more, sometimes reduced to 1 or 2), verticillate, follicular or 2-valved in fruit : styles 

 terminal. Seeds 1 - 10 in each carpel, pendulous or ascending. — Shrubs or small 

 trees, rarely herbs. 



3. SPIR^A. Linn.; Endl. gen. 6B91, meadowsweet. 



[ Supposed to be the Speireia of Thcophrastus. Speira signifies a cord.] 



Calyx 5-cleft, persistent. Petals 5, obovate or roundish, equal. Stamens 20 - 50. Carpels 

 3-5 (sometimes 6 - 8), distinct or rarely united at the base, sometimes with a short stipe : 

 style terminal. Seeds 2-15, suspended, or very rarely one of them ascending. — Unarmed 

 shrubs or perennial herbs. Flowers white or rose-color. 



& 1. Physocarpus, Camb. Carpels large, somewhat united at the base, inflated; seeds with a firm 

 shining testa. — Shrubs, with somewhat lobed stipulate leaves. 



1. SpiRiEA OPULIFOLIA, Linn. Nine-bark. 



Leaves roundish, often subcordate, slightly 3-lobed, doubly crenate-serrate, petioled, 

 smoothish ; corymbs umbel-like, pedunculate, hemispherical ; pedicels filiform ; carpels 

 3-5, finally spreading, much longer than the calyx. — Linn. sp. 1 . p. 489 ; Michx. fl. 1 . 

 p. 293 ; Ell. sk. 1. p. 540 ; Torr. fl. I. p. 482 ; Seringe in DC. prodr. 2. p. 542 ; Hook, 

 fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 171 ; Beck, bot. p. 98 ; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 298. 



A shrub 3-5 feet high, much branched ; the old bark loose, and separating in numerous 

 thin layers. Leaves about 2 inches in diameter, often roundish-ovate, more or less distinctly 

 3-lobed and crenately incised. Corymbs numerous, about two inches in diameter, many- 

 flowered. Calyx (and pedicels) pubescent ; the teeth ovate, acute. Disk entirely cohering 

 with the tube of the calyx. Ovaries with 1-4 ovules, one of which is suspended, the others 

 ascending : stigmas capitate. Carpels about three times as long as the calyx, compressed, 

 a little acuminate, somewhat membranaceous, smooth and shining. Seeds about 2 in each 

 carpel, reniform-obovoid. 



Rocky banks of rivers, etc. ; rather common. Fl. May - June. Fr. August. 



& 2. EuspiR JEA, Torr. & Gr. Carpels distinct, not inflated : seeds mostly with a loose membranaceous 

 testa. — Shrubs, with entire leaves destitute of stipules. 



2. SpiRiEA sALiciFOLiA, Linn. Queen-of-the-meadbw. 



Plant nearly smooth ; leaves lanceolate or obovate, simply or doubly serrate ; racemes in 

 crowded panicles ; carpels 5, smooth. — Linn.; Pall.fl. Ross. t. 21 ; Willd. sp. 2. p. 1055; 



