A GUIDE TO THE WILD FLOWERS 141 



reddish purple capsule. Wet places. Newfoundland to Florida, 

 and westward. August. See Nos. 472 and 483. 

 414. Purple Loosestrife. Lythrum Salicaria. (Lythraccac.) 

 A much branched herb of wet places, often 3 ft. tall. Leaves 

 opposite or sometimes in 3's, lance-shaped, 2-3 in. long. 

 Flowers purple, about 3^ in. wide, in a long leafy terminal 

 spike, very showy. Canada to Delaware. July. A native o 

 Europe, but thoroughly at home here, particularly along 

 some of our tidal streams. Fig. 414. 



.1 



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415. SABBATIAS. SABBATIA, 



Smooth, slender, often somewhat sprawling herbs, with 

 the leaves opposite, or arranged in 3's, wholly without teeth. 

 Flowers rose pink, rarely whitish, solitary, or in few-flowered 

 clusters. Sepals usually 6-8, united below, but free above, 

 long and narrow. Petals essentially separated, but actually 

 united at the base^ Stamens about the same number as the 

 petals. Fruit a many seeded dry pod which is often much 

 exceeded by the persistent sepals. (^Gcntianaccac.) There are 

 about 10 species of which the following may be distinguished 

 thus: 



Petals not over 6 



Branches opposite Bitter-bloom no. 416 



Branches alternate Sea Pink no. 417 



Petals 8-12 Marsh Pink no. 418 



(See also Nos. 671 and 805) 



416. Bitter-bloom. Sahbatia angidaris. A much branched 

 slender herb with a distinctly 4-angled stem. Upper branches 

 always opposite, some of the lower occasionally alternate. 

 Leaves crval, pointed at the tip, broadest towards, and stem- 

 clasping at the base. Flowers rose pink, mostly solitary, about 

 13^ in. wide. In open rich places. Ontario and N. Y. to 

 Florida, and westward. July. A related species, 5. lanccolata, 

 with more spreading, and white, petals, is found in the pine 

 barrens from N. J. to Florida. 



417. Ska pink. Sabbat ia stdlaris. Similar to No. 416, but 

 with alternate branches, and leaves not broadest towards the 



