Vol.. II. ] ORPINE FAMILY. 



i. Penthorum sedoides L,. Ditch or 

 Virginia Stonecrop. (Fig. 1821.) 



Penthorum sedoides 1,. Sp. PI. 432. 1753. 



Glabrous, erect, stem usually branched and an- 

 gled above, terete below, 6 / -2 high. Leaves lan- 

 ceolate or narrowly elliptic, acuminate at each end, 

 finely serrate, 2'-4' long, 6 // -i2 // wide; cymes 2- 

 3-forked, the branches \'-$ f long; flowers short - 

 pedicelled, about 2" broad ; sepals triangular-ovate, 

 acute, shorter than the flattish capsule; petals of ten 

 or generally wanting. 



In ditches and swamps, New Brunswick to Florida, 

 west to Minnesota and Texas. July-Sept. 



Family 39. SAXIFRAGACEAE Dumort. Anal. Fam. 36. 1829. 



SAXIFRAGE FAMILY. 



Herbs, shrubs, vines, or trees, with basal or alternate or opposite leaves. 

 Flowers perfect or polygamo-dioecious, solitary, racemose, cymose or paniculate. 

 Calyx 5-lobed or 5-parted (rarely 4-i2-lobed or parted), free, or adnate to the 

 ovary, usually persistent. Petals usually 4 or 5, rarely none. Stamens equal 

 in number or twice as many as the petals, in apetalous species as many or twice 

 as many as the calyx-lobes, perigynous or epigynous; filaments distinct. Disk 

 generally present. Carpels i-several, often 2, distinct or united, mostly fewer 

 than the stamens; styles as many as the carpels or cavities of the ovary, or all 

 united into one. Fruit a capsule, follicle or berry. Seeds commonly numerous; 

 endosperm generally copious, fleshy; embryo small, terete. 



About 70 genera and 600 species, of wide geographic distribution, mainly natives of the tem- 

 perate zones, rare in the tropics. 

 Herbs; leaves basal or opposite or alternate. 



Staminodia (abortive stamens) none; flowers mostly clustered. 



Large herbs; leaves 3-ternate ; flowers polygamous. i. Aslilbe. 



Leaves simple, cleft, lobed or 3-foliolate; flowers perfect. 

 Placentae axial. 



Ovary superior or nearly so; stamens 10. 2. Saxifraga. 



Ovary more or less adnate to the calyx-tube. 

 Stamens 5, in pur species. 

 Petals deciduous. 

 Petals persistent. 

 Stamens 10. 

 Placentae almost basal. 

 Placentae parietal. 



Petals present (in our species); terrestrial plants. 

 Petals entire. 

 Petals lobed or pinnatifid. 

 Petals none; small aquatic plants. 



Staminodia present, alternate with the stamens; flower solitary. 

 Shrubs, or woody vines; leaves opposite or alternate. 

 Leaves opposite. 

 Stamens 8-12. 

 Stamens 20-40. 



Vine; petals small; style only i. 

 Shrubs; petals large; styles 3-5. 

 Leaves alternate; flowers small, racemed. 



3. Therofon. 



4. Sullivantia. 

 2. Saxifraga, 



5. Tiarella. 



6. Heuchera. 



7. Mitel la. 



8. Chrysosplenium. 



9. Parnassia. 



10. Hydrangea. 



11. Decumaria. 



12. Philadelphus. 



13. I tea. 



i. ASTILBE Hamilt; D. Don. Prodr. Fl. Nepal. 210. 1825. 

 Erect perennial herbs, with large 2-3-ternate leaves, and small spicate polygamous 

 flowers in terminal panicles. Calyx campanulate, 4~5-lobed. Petals 4-5 (in our species), 

 linear-spatulate, inserted at the base of the calyx. Stamens 8-10, all perfect, inserted with 

 the petals; filaments elongated. Ovary superior or nearly so, 2-3-celled, deeply 2-3-lobed; 

 styles 2-3; stigmas obtuse; ovules oo. Capsule 2-3-lobed, separating into 2-3 follicle-like 

 carpels, each usually few-seeded. Seeds small, the testa loose, tapering at each end. [Greek 

 without brightness.] 



