VOL. II.] 



CROWFOOT FAMILY. 

 19. ATRAGENE L. Sp. PI. 543. 1753. 



Perennial climbing vines, with opposite petioled compound leaves, and large showy pe- 

 duncled flowers, solitary in the axils, or at the ends of the branches. Sepals very large, 

 petaloid, mostly membranous and prominently veined. Petals small, spatulate. Stamens 

 very numerous, the outer ones usually with broadened filaments. Styles long, persistent, 

 plumose. [Ancient Greek name for some vine.] 



About 3 species, natives of the north temperate zone. In addition to the following, another 

 occurs in the Rocky Mountains and one in northwestern North America. 



i. Atragene Americana Sims. 



Purple Virgin's Bower. 



(Fig. 1592.) 



Atragene Americana Sims, Bot. Mag-. pl.SSj. 

 1806. 



Clematis verlicillaris DC. Syst. i: 166. 1818. 



A trailing or partly climbing vine of rocky 

 woodlands. Leaves trifoliolate; leaflets thin, 

 ovate, acute, toothed or entire, more or less 

 cordate; petioles slender; flowers solitary, 

 purplish blue, 2 / -4 / broad when expanded; 

 sepals 4, thin and translucent, strongly 

 veined, silky along the margins and the 

 veins; petals spatulate, 6 // ~9 // long; persis- 

 tent styles plumose throughout. 



Hudson Bay to Manitoba, south to Virginia 

 and Minnesota. Ascends to 3000 ft. in the Cats- 

 kills. May-June. 



20. MYOSURUS L. Sp. PI. 284. 1753. 



Diminutive annual herbs, with fibrous roots, basal linear entire leaves and i-flowered 

 scapes. Sepals 5 (rarely 6-7), long-spurred at the base. Petals the same number or none, 

 when present greenish-yellow, narrow, the claw bearing a nectariferous pit at the summit, 

 the limb spreading. Stamens 5-25, about equalling the sepals. Pistils numerous, borne on 

 a central axis, which becomes greatly elongated in fruit. Ovule i, suspended. Achenes 

 apiculate or aristate. [Greek, mouse-tail.] 



- A genus of insignificant plants of local but wide geographic distribution, consisting of the spe- 

 cies here figured and 4 others found in west America and Australia. 



f 



i. Myosurus minimus L/. 

 (Fig- I593-) 



Mouse-tail. 



Myosurus minimus L. Sp. PI. 284. 1753. 

 Myosurus Short ii Raf. Am. Journ. Sci. i: 379. 



1819. 



Myosurus Hihtimusvar. Shortii Huth, Engler's Bot. Jahrb. 

 16: 284. 1893. 



Low, glabrous, i'-6' high, the scape at length sur- 

 passing the leaves and the elongated receptacle attain- 

 ing the length of i' or more. Leaves all basal, 2' '-4' 

 long, narrowly linear, blunt; petals present, small; 

 achenes glabrous, apiculate, 



In moist places, southern Ontario to Illinois, Kentucky 

 and Florida. Reported from/fne Pacific Coast. Also in 

 central Europe. At Norfolk; Va., the plant seems to have 

 been introduced. April-Jnly. 



