ORDER 51. LYTHRACE^E. 349 



Calyx often purplish. Petals violet, obovate ; stamens included. Capsule burst- 

 ing lengthwise before the seeds are ripe. Aug. (Ly thrum petiolatum L.) 



3. LYTHRUM, L. LOOSESTRIFE. (Gr. Xvdpov, black blood ; refer- 

 ring to the color of the flower.) Calyx cylindrical, striate, limt> 4 to 6- 

 toothed, with as many intermediate, minute processes ; petals 4 to C, 

 equal ; stamens as many or twice as many as the petals, inserted in the 

 calyx; style filiform ; capsule 2-celled, many-seeded. Mostly ^,-with 

 entire Ivs, 



Stamens as many as the petals. Fls. axillary, solitary Nos. 1 3 



Stamens twice as many as the petals. Fls. spicate or raceincd Nos. 4, 5 



1 L. hyasopifolia L. GRASS-POLY. Glabrous, erect, branching ; Ivs. alternate 

 or opposite, linear or oblong-lanceolate, obtuse; fls. solitary, axillary, subsessilo; 

 pet. and stam. 5 or 6. A slender, weed-like plant, found in low grounds, dry 

 beds of ponds, &c., Mass, and K Y., near the coast, rare. Plant 6 to 10' high, 

 with spreading, square branches. Lvs. sessile, acute at base, pale green, each 

 with a single small flower, sessile in its axil. Petals pale purple. Calyx ob- 

 scurely striate, with short lobes. Jl. 



2 L. alatum Ph. Glabrous, erect, branched; st. winged beloio; Ivs. lance-ovate, 

 acute, sessile, broadest at base, alternate and opposite ; fls. axillary, solitary. 

 Damp grounds S. and W. States, common. St. 1 to 2f high, striate, the wings 

 narrow. Lvs. 1 to 2' long, as wide. Calyx tube 12-striate, 12-toothed, alter- 

 nate teeth cornute. Corolla purple, wavy, 6-petaled. Stam. 6, included. Jn., JL 



3 L. lineare L. St. slender, somewhat 4-angled, branched above ; Ivs. linear, 

 mostly opposite and obtuse ; fls. nearly sessile ; petals and stamens 6. Swamps 

 near the coast, 1ST. J. to Fla. St. 2 to 4f high, the angles sometimes slightly 

 winged. Lvs. 1 to 2' by 2 to 4", rather fleshy. Fls. small, nearly white. 



4 L. Salicaria L. More or less pubescent ; Ivs. lanceolate, cordate at base ; fls. 

 nearly sessile, in a long, somewhat verticeliate, interrupted spike ; petals 6 or 7 ; 

 stam. twice as many as pet. An ornamental plant, native in wet meadows, Can. 

 and K Eng., rare. St. 2 to 5f high, branching. Lvs. 3 to 6' long, as wide, 

 gradually acuminate, entire, on a short petiole, opposite or in verticels of 3, upper 

 ones reduced to sessile bracts. Fls. large, numerous and showy ; petals purple. 

 Jl, Aug. f 



5 L. virgatum L. St. erect, branched, virgate ; Ivs. lanceolate, acute each end, 

 floral ones small; fls. about 3 in each axil of the virgate raceme; Etam. 12. A 

 fine species for the garden, native of Austria. St. 3 to 4f high. Fls. purple. 

 Jn. Sept. f 



4. WES V A, Juss. Calyx short, broadly campanulate, with 5 erect 

 teeth, and 5 elongated, spreading, hornlike processes ; stamens 10, alter- 

 nate ones very long ; style filiform ; capsule globous, included, many- 

 seeded. U Lvs. opposite or verticillate, entire. Fls. axillary, purple. 



N. verticillata Kunth. Swamps, throughout the U. S. and Can. St. woody at 

 base, often prostrate, and rooting at the summit, 3 to 8f in length, or erect, and 

 2 to 3f high, 4 to 6-angled. Lvs. opposite, or in whorls of 3, lanceolate, on short 

 petioles, acute at base, 3 to 5' long, gradually acuminate and acute at apex. Fls. 

 in axillary, subsessile umbels of 3 or more, apparently whorled, constituting a 

 long, leafy, terminal and showy panicle. Petals 5 or 6, large, and of a fine purple. 

 JL, Aug. (Decodon verticillatum Ell.) 



a. PUBESCENS. St. and Ivs. beneath pubescent. E. Island (rare) to La. 



/?. L^IVIGATUM. Glabrous and bright green. More common. N. Eng. to 111. 



5. AMMAN'NlA, L. (To John Amman, of Siberia, professor of bot- 

 any at St. Petersburg.) Calyx campanulate, 4 to 5-toothed or lobed, 

 generally with as many horn-like processes, alternating with the lobes ; 

 petals 4 or 5 ; stamens as many, rarely twice as many as the calyx lobes ; 



