Wild Flowers East of the Rockies 253 



PRIMROSE FAMILY (Primulaceae). 



A family of herbs having regular perfect flowers 

 and simple leaves, arranged oppositely, alternately 

 or whorled about the stem. 



YELLOW LOOSESTRIFE (Lysimachia terrestris). 

 From July until September, our swamps are brighten- 

 ed by the golden-yellow wand-like spikes of Loose- 

 strife, swaying on tall, slender leafy stems. We of- 

 ten find this species growing in company with the 

 following, but the present one is fond of very wet 

 places and is most abundant in boggy swamps that 

 are impenetrable unless shod especially for it. Yel- 

 low Loosestrife has a tall, slender, simple stem from 

 8 to 24 inches high. The leaves are pointed-lanceo- 

 late, stemless and crowded along the stem, either op- 

 positely or alternately. The flower spike is long and 

 contains many buds on slender pedicels; they open, 

 a dozen or more at a time, from the bottom of the 

 spike upwards, each plant thus being in bloom for 

 several weeks. Each flower has five, pointed golden- 

 yellow petals, each with two small reddish brown 

 spots near the base; the stamens and pistil project 

 in a cone-like cluster, the stigma being so far remov- 

 ed from the anthers that self fertilization is not apt 

 to occur. The setting of the seed depends largely 

 upon small bees that visit the flowers for pollen. 

 This Loosestrife is abundant from Newfoundland to 

 Hudson Bay and southwards. 



FOUR LEAVED LOOSESTRIFE (Lysimachia quad- 

 rifolia) is also a very common species found in low 

 land in about the same range. The flowers are very 

 similar but each petal has a single large spot of red- 

 dish brown at its base instead of a double one; the 

 flowers appear from the axils of the upper leaves. The 

 pointed, lanceolate leaves are whorled about the 

 stem usually in groups of fours, occasionally more or 

 less. 



