140 A GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 



V 



Leaf-stalks ^ in. long; growing in swamps or 



water Swamp Loosestrife no. 412 



Leaves not stalked 



Leaves oval-oblong, black-dotted 



Marsh St. John's-wort no. 413 



Leaves narrower, not black-dotted 



. . Purple Loosestrife no. 414 



411. Tar- WEED. Parsonsia petiolata. {Cuphea petiolata.) 

 (Lythraceae.) An opposite leaved sticky herb, 6-18 in. tall, 

 with leaf-stalks about j4 in. long. Flowers at the leaf-joints, 

 slightly unsymmetrical, purple. Petals 6, stamens 11 or 12. 

 Fruit a dry pod. In dry places. New Hampshire to Georgia, 

 and westward. July-Sept. Fig. 411. 



412. Swamp Loosestrife. Decodon verticillatus. {Lythra- 

 ceae.) A coarse almost woody perennial, 3-6 ft. tall, with 

 lance-shaped leaves on stalks about % in. long. Leaves 2-4 

 in. long, often 3 at each joint. Flowers purple, in dense stalk- 

 less clusters from the upper leaf-joints. Stamens prominent, 

 protruding. In wet places. Maine and Ontario to Florida and 

 westward. August. Fig. 412. 



413. Marsh St. John's-wort. Triadenum mrginicum. {Hy- 

 pericum virginicum.) {Hypericaccac.) A smooth, opposite- 

 leaved herb, with conspicuously black dotted foliage. Leaves 

 oval-oblong, essentially stalkless, bluish-green beneath, i^^- 

 2y2 in. long. Flowers mostly in short-stalked terminal clus- 

 ters, greenish-purple, about ^ in. wide. Fruit a pointed. 



