134 



CRUCIFERAE. 



2. Lunaria annua I,. 

 (Fig. 1740.) 



[VOL. II. 

 Honesty. 



Lunaria annua L. Sp. PI. 653. 1753. 

 Lunaria biennis Moench, Meth. 126. 1794. 



Resembles the preceding species when in flower, 

 but the root is annual or biennial. Siliques ellip- 

 tic or broadly oval, i^'-z' long, i' wide or rather 

 more, rounded at both ends ; seeds suborbicular, 

 cordate, about as long as wide. 



Escaped from gardens to roadsides in southwestern 

 Connecticut. Both this species and the preceding are 

 occasionally cultivated for their remarkably large pods, 

 which are gathered for dry bouquets, the valves falling 

 away at maturity and leaving the septum as a shining 

 membrane. May-June. 



21. SELENIA Xutt. Journ. Acad. Phila. 5: 132. 1825. 



Annual tufted glabrous herbs, with pinnatisect leaves, and racemose leafy-bracted yellow 

 flowers. Sepals spreading. Petals narrow, erect, with 10 hypogynous glands at their bases. 

 Silique stalked, very flat, oblong, narrowed at each end. Valves nerveless, thin, finely veined, 

 dehiscent. Style long, slender. Seeds few, in 2 rows in each cell of the pod, orbicular, flat, 

 broadly winged, free from the septum. Cotyledons accumbcnt. [Greek, moon, from the 

 resemblance of this genus to Lunaria.] 



Two or three species, natives of the south-central 

 United States and northern Mexico. 



i. Selenia aurea Nutt. 

 (Fig. 1741.) 



Selenia. 



Selenia aurea Nutt. Journ. Acad. Phila. 5: 132. 1825. 



Stems simple, numerous, a'-S' high. Basal leaves 

 i'-2' long, narrow, i-2-pinnatifid into numerous ob- 

 long dentate segments; stem-leaves similar, smaller; 

 bracts of the raceme pinnatifid, resembling the upper 

 leaves; flowers 3"-4" high, numerous; pedicels 5"-7" 

 long in fruit, spreading or ascending; pod 6"-io" 

 long, 2"-3 // broad; style 2" long, very slender. 



In open places, Missouri and Kansas to Texas. 

 April. 



March- 



22. LEAVENWORTHIA Torr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. 4: 87. 1837. 



Low annual glabrous scapose herbs, with lyrate-pinnatifid persistent basal leaves, and 

 few or solitary terminal flowers. Petals wedge-shaped. Siliques flat, broadly linear or ob- 

 long, short-stipitate; valves dehiscent, nerveless, finely reticulate-veined. Seeds in I row in 

 each cell of the pod, flat, winged or margined; radicle short, slightly bent toward the coty- 

 ledons. [In honor of Dr. M. C. Leavenworth, U. S. A.] 



A genus of about 4 species, natives of southeastern North America. 



Pods not constricted between the seeds. i. L. uni flora. 



Pods constricted between the seeds. 2. L. lorulosa. 



