278 ORDER 102. AHISTOLOCHIACE^E. 



COHORT 3. APETAL^E, 



OR MONOCHLAMYDEOUS ExoGENS. Plants with, no corolla, 

 the calyx or perianth green or colored, consisting of a single 

 scries of similar organs, or often wholly wanting. 



ORDER OIL ARISTOLOCHIACE^E. BIRTHWORTS. 



Low herbs or climbing shrubs, with alternate leaves and perfect flowers. 

 Perianth tube adherent to the ovary, brown or dull, valvate in the bud. 

 Stamens 6 to 12, epigynous and adherent to the base of the styles. Ovary 

 C-celled, becoming a G-celled, many-seeded capsule or berry. Seed albu- 

 minous, embryo minute. Figs. 24, 333. 



1. ASARUM, Tourn. WILD GINGER. Calyx bell-form, regular, 3- 

 cleft. Sta. 12, placed upon the ovary, anth. adnate to the middle or sum- 

 mit of the filaments. Style very short, stigma 6-rayed. Fruit fleshy, 

 6-cclled, crowned with the calyx. U Acaulescent, with creeping rhizomes 

 and 1 or 2 leaves on each branch. Flowers solitary. 



Leaves in pairs. Calyx lobes pointed, reflexed. Ovary wholly adherent No. 1 



Leaves solitary. Calyx lobes obtuse, suberect. Ovary partly free Nos. 2, 3 



1 A. Caiiaden&e L. Lvs. 2, broad-reniform, on long, opposite, radical petioles with 



the flower between ; sepals greenish-purple, pointed, reflexed ; filaments extended 

 above the anthers. Rich shades. The root is a popular remedy. May, June. 



2 A. Virginlcum L. Leaf orbicular-ovate, glabrous, coriaceous, deeply cordate, 



entire, obtuse ; flowers subsessile ; calyx short, smooth outside ; segments obtuse, 

 dull purple. Rocky soils, Va., Ky., and S. April. 



3 A. arilolium MX. Leaf broadly hastate with a deep sinus ; fl. 79", tubular, soon 



u-rceolate, lobes short and obtuse. Rich soils, Va., and S. March May. 



2. ARISTOLOCHIA, Tourn. BIRTHWORT. Calyx tubular, tube vari- 

 ously bent and inflected above the ovary, limb irregular. Anth. C, subses- 

 sile on the style. Stig. 6-lobed. Caps. 6-celled, oo-seeded. if Caulescent, 

 with alternate leaves and lateral lurid purple flowers. 



Stem erect. Calyx tube sigmoid (i. e., twice bent like the letter S) Nos. 1. 2 



Stem climbing, woody. Calyx tube recurved, once bent upward. May, Ju..Nos. 3, 4 



1 A. serpeiitaria L. Virginia, Snake-root. Stem flexuous ; Ivs. petiolate, oblor.g 



or ovate, thin, cordate, acuminate ; ped. radical, many bracted : cal. tube smoothi^h, 

 contracted in the midst. Thickets, Pa., S. and W. 8 13'. June. July. 

 B. Itftxfhlfi, Leaves narrowly oblong, auricled at base, short-stalked. S. 



2 A. rctieulata N. St. very flexuous : Ivs. oval, cordate-clasping, with decussating 



lobes, strongly reticulated ; flowers radical, small (b"). La. If. 



3 A. SIplio L'Her. Dutchman's Pipe. Lvs. glabrov.s, ample, round-reniform ; ped. 



1-flowered, with 1 clasping bract ; flowers 1 J', bent like a siphon or tobacco-pipe, 

 limb spreading. A vigorous climber, 30 40f, in hilly woods, Pa. to Ky., and S. t 



4 A. tomentosa Sims. Leaves downy or hairy beneath, round-cordate, very veiny ; 



peel, solitary, 1-flowered, bractlegs; flowers 20", tube yellowish, limb purple, reflexed. 

 throat nearly closed. Banks. 111., ami S. 30 40f. May. 



