Vol. III.] 



FIGWORT FAMILY. 



145 



1. E. spur/a. 



2. E. Elatine. 



(Fig. 3234.) 



3. ELATINOIDES Wettst. in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pfl. Fam. 4: Abt. 3b, 



58. 1891. 



[Elatine Moench, Meth. 524. 1794. Not L. 1753.] 

 Mostly annual spreading or creeping herbs, with pinnately veined, short-petioled entire 

 toothed or lobed leaves, and solitary axillary white yellow or variegated flowers. Calyx 

 5-parted. Corolla irregular, spurred, 2-lipped, the throat closed by the palate. Stamens 4, 

 didynamous, included; filaments filiform. Capsule subglobose, or ovoid, opening by 1 or 2 

 terminal slits, pores, or valves. Seeds nu'merous, ovoid, mostly rough or tubercled. [Greek, 

 resembling Elatine.] 



About 25 species, natives of the Old World. 

 Leaves ovate-orbicular, cordate or rounded at the base. 

 Leaves hastate. 



i. Elatinoides spuria (L.) Wettst. Round-leaved Toad-Flax. 



Antirrhinum spurium L. Sp. PI. 613. 1753. 

 I.niaria spuria Mill. Gard. Diet. Ed. 8, no. 15. 1768. 

 Elatinoides spuria Wettst. in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pfl. 



Fam. 4: Abt. 3b. 58. 1891. 



Annual, pubescent all over; stems prostrate, branch- 

 ed or simple, 3 '-2 long. Leaves short-petioled, 

 ovate-orbicular, entire, or sometimes dentate, mu- 

 cronulate at the apex, cordate or rounded at the base, 

 ^'-I'in diameter; petioles i // -2 // long; flowers soli- 

 tary in the axils, small; peduncles filiform, very 

 pubescent, often much longer than the leaves; calyx- 

 segments ovate, acute at the apex, cordate or rounded 

 at the base, one-half as long as the corolla; corolla 

 yellowish with a purple upper lip, the spur curved, 

 about as long as the tube; capsule subglobose, shorter 

 than the calyx; seeds rugose, not winged. 



In waste places and ballast, southern New York to 

 North Carolina. Adventive from Europe. This and the 

 next called also Cancerwort and Female Fluellin. June- 

 Sept. 



2. Elatinoides Elatine (L.) Wettst. Sharp- 

 pointed Fluellin or Toad- Flax. (Fig. 3235.) 



Antirrhinum Elatine L. Sp. PI. 612. 1753. 

 Linaria Elatina Mill. Gard. Diet. Ed. 8, no. 16. 1768. 

 Elatinoides Elatine Wettst. in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pfl. 

 Fam. 4: Abt. 3b. 58. 1891. 



Annual, pubescent; stems prostrate, usually 

 branched, slender, 6 r -2 long. Leaves short-peti- 

 oled, ovate, Yz'-i' long, acute or acutish at the apex, 

 triangular, hastate, truncate, or subcordate at the 

 base, the basal auricles divergent, acute; petioles \ ,f - 

 3" long; flowers solitary in the axils, about 3" long; 

 peduncles filiform, glabrous, or somewhat hairy, usu- 

 ally longer than the leaves; calyx-segments narrow- 

 ly lanceolate, acute; corolla yellowish, purplish be- 

 neath, its spur slender, straight, declined; capsule 

 subglobose, shorter than the calyx; seeds wingless. 



In sandy waste places, Canada; New York to North 

 Carolina. Naturalized from Europe. Native also of Asia. 



Called also Canker-root. June-Sept. 



4. LINARIA Juss. Gen. PI. 120. 1789. 



Herbs, some exotic species shrubby, with alternate entire dentate or lobed leaves, or the 

 lower and those of sterile shoots opposite or verticillate, and yellow white blue purple or 

 variegated flowers, in terminal bracted racemes or spikes. Calyx 5-parted, the segments 

 imbricated. Corolla irregular, spurred at the base, or the spur rarely obsolete, 2-lipped, the 

 upper lip erect, 2-lobed, covering the lower in the bud, the lower spreading, 3-lobed, its base 

 produced into a palate often nearly closing the throat. Stamens 4, didynamous, ascending, 

 included; filaments and style filiform. Capsule ovoid or globose, opening by 1 or more 

 mostly 3-toothed pores or slits below the summit. Seeds numerous, wingless or winged, 

 angled or rugose. [Latin, linum, flax, which some species resemble.] 



About 150 species, of wide geographic distribution, most abundant in the Old World. Besides 

 the following, another occurs in southern Florida. The corolla, especially the terminal one of the 

 raceme, occasionally has 5 spurs and is regularly 5-lobed, and is then said to be in the Peloria state. 



10 



