426 THE KINDS OF PLANTS 



white little plants, turning black when drying: stem, 3-6 in. high, bent 

 over at the top with one nodding terminal flower. 



M. Hypopitys, Linn. Pine-sap. In oak and pine woods: stems scaly, 

 white or tawny red, 4-8 in. high, single or in groups: flowers several, small, 

 rather fragrant, in a scaly raceme. 



XLVII. RUBIACE.E. Madder Family. 



A large and important family of herbs, shrubs, trees (including 

 cinchona or Peruvian bark, and coffee): leaves opposite, or in 3's 

 with stipules between, or apparently whorled without stipules: flow- 

 ers perfect, sometimes dimorphous (of 2 sorts) or trimorphous; 

 calyx-tube adherent to ovary, margin 3-6-toothed; corolla regular, 

 inserted on calyx-tube, and of same number of lobes; stamens of equal 

 number as corolla-lobes and alternate with them; ovary 1-10- 

 celled: fruit a capsule, berry or drupe. A large family (some 5,000 

 species), largely tropical. 



a. Leaves 4-8 in a whorl: no apparent stipules: fruit 2 



nutlets, bur-like, or sometimes berry-like 1. Galium 



aa. Leaves opposite (or whorled), with stipules. 



b. Flowers in pairs, axillary: fruit a double berry: 



creeping 2. Mitchella 



bb. Flowers solitary, or in terminal clusters: not creeping.3. Houstonia 

 bbb. Flowers in round heads 4. Cephalanthus 



1. GALIUM. Cleavers. Bedstraw. 



Frail herbs, with square stems, often prickly or rough on angles and edges 

 of leaves, usually diffusely branching: leaves apparently whorled and with- 

 out stipules: flowers small or minute, sometimes dioecious, in cymes or 

 panicles, axillary or terminal; calyx minutely 4-lobed; corolla 3-4-lobed: 

 stamens 3-^4; ovary 2-celled: fruit small, double, dry or fleshy, berry -like, 

 indehiscent, or sometimes with only 1 carpel ripening. Many species. 



G. asprellum, Michx. Weak, reclining, or nearly erect branching 

 perennial, the angles of stems with backward-pointing prickles: leaves 

 small, not 1 in. long, whorled in 4's or 5's on branches, usually 6 on stem; 

 edges and mid-ribs rough with prickles: flowers tiny, white, numerous, 

 loosely clustered at end of branches: fruit small, smooth. 



G. circaezans, Michx. Wild licorice. Perennial, branching, ascending 

 stems with leaves in 4's, not prickly: leaves oval to oblong, obtuse, more 

 or less pubescent, an inch or more long: flowers dull greenish or brownish, 

 on very short pedicels in branched cymes; fruit on reflexed pedicels, bristly: 

 root and leaves with sweetish taste. Dry woods. Common. 



G. Aparine, Linn. Cleavers. Goose-grass. Annual, stems weak, pros- 

 trate, scrambling, and diffuse, with backward-pointing barbs on angles: 



