Krythruia. GENTIANACE.E. 479 



SuBoiiDER II. MENYANTHE/E. 



Lobes of the corolla induplicate in the hud. Seeds rather few and with a thick 

 hard and close coat. Aquatic or bog plants, with alternate leaves, sometimes of 3 

 leaflets ; the petioles sheathing at base. — Represented only by 



5. Menyanthes. Corolla deciduous, 5-clcft ; tlic lobes within white-bearded : (lowers racemose. 

 1. ERYTHR^A, Pers. Canciialaoua. 



Calyx 5-partcd, or occasionally 4-partod ; the divisions slender. Corolla salver- 

 form, withering-persistent on the capsule ; the lobes convolute in the bud. Stamens 

 inserted on the throat of the corolla : filaments slender : anthers oblong or linear, 

 twisting spirally (in 2 to 4 turns) after shedding the pollen. Stylo filiform, at 

 length deciduous : stigmas, in ours wedge-shaped or fan-shaped, before expansion 

 commonly appearing as if united and compressed-capitate. Capsule from oblong- 

 ovate to lanceolate-cylindraceous ; the sutures little or considerably introflexed. 

 Seeds very numerous, globular or oblong, with a close reticulatc-pittcd ooat. — 

 Eow herbs (both of the Old and Now World, in warm-teniporato regions), mainly 

 annuals; with bitter roots, cymose inflorescence, and usually pink or rose-red flowers 

 (whence the generic name). 



Like the Gentians, these plants are bitter tonics ; and, in California as well as in Chili, are in 

 medicinal repute, under the name of C'ancJialngua. Dr. Enf^clmann points out a character in 

 the stigmas, i. e. tliat in the European species, excepting tlio peculiar K maritima, tliey are 

 broadly ovnto or with rounded smnmit, white in the American they are either cuiieato or flabclli- 

 form, the summit truncate, or in E. Qkilams emarginate. 



E (GYUANnnA) cninoNioiDKS (not of Torr.) and E. sprciosa {G,,rmidra, Griscbach, and 

 Jienth. IJot Sulph. t. 45)— large-flowered si)ecics, which liardly dilier except in the shorter 

 hlaments of the latter — are Mexican only, and are sectionally distinguished by havincr the 

 apparently pale and broad corolla-lobes rather longer than the tube at the time of opening and 

 the capsule oval. In all the following the capsule is from elongated-oblong to fusiform. 



* Corolla large; its limb at first almost as long as the tube : seeds globular: iyi- 



fiorescence corymboselj/ cymose : peduncles as long as the calyx. 



1. E. venusta, Grny. A span to u foot liigh, simple nnd cymoaoly sovoral- 

 flowcivd at summit, or corynibosi^ly brancliod : leaves from nvat.o to oblong-lancoo- 

 lato, rather obtuse (half to near an inch long) : calyx-lobes very narrow dow^ii to tlio 

 base: corolla deep and bright pink with a yellow centre; the lobes oval and obtuse, 

 beconiing oblong, 4 to 6 lines in length : filaments rather longer than the oblong- 

 hnear anthers. — ^, chimninidrs, Torr. Bot. Mex. r.nund. 150, t 42 excl svn 

 E. tricnniha, Durand in Tncif II. Hep. v. t. 9, not Griscb. ' 

 .^^.TZlS'Jrt "V t!»%^°"t''7;" P-'^'-t of the state, and extending (mostly in a smaller form) 

 tm^t ^rZt ■ ""■' ^'•' ."':. *' "^"^ ^'^^^ ^''^^- '^^'^ "•-'"^'^ K'^'^" '" ^-""Iter's collec- 

 spcciet of ^J^^,T' '" "°'' '''"'""^ '"'■ ''"'• "" ''"'"l-^°"'-t -^"'l '^"" "f tl'« I'ugost-noworod 



* * Corolla with lobes shorter than the tube: seeds oblong: inflorescence cymose- 

 clMsered ; the crowded fiowers sessile or nearly so in the forh, and the lateral ones 

 with a 2Mir of bracts under the calyx : stigmas small. 



2. R trichantha, Grisebach. A span or less high, fastigiately branched : loaves 

 Jrom broadly oblong and obtuse t(^ lanceolate and acute ((> to 12 linos Ion") • lobes 

 ol the roHo-HMl con.Ihi lancoolulo, fully l,„lf M,„ Inngll, of the tube at 1,1.0" timo of 

 expansion (3 or 4 linos long), becoming narrow ami by involution nouminato with 

 ago: calyx-lobes liliform-triquotrous : anthers linear. — Gent. 14(), it DC Prodr. ix 

 60, excl. var. angusti/olia. 



Common near the coast from Lake Co. and the Valley of the Lower Sacramento to Monterey. 



