472 



LYTHRACEAE. 



[VOL. IL 



2. Lythrum alatum Pursh. Wing- 

 angled Loosestrife. (Fig. 2546.) 



Lythrum alatum Pursh, Fl. Am. Sept. 334. 1814. 



Perennial, erect, glabrous, usually much 

 branched, dark green, i-4 high, the stem 

 angled and often slightly winged. Leaves ses- 

 sile, alternate or the lowest opposite, lanceolate 

 or oblong, acute or acutish at the apex, rounded 

 or cordate at the base, 6"-i5" long, 2"-5" wide; 

 flowers solitary in the upper axils, short-pedi- 

 celled, deep purple, $"-$" broad, dimorphous; 

 petals erect-spreading; stamens of the short- 

 styled flowers exserted; hypogynous ring fleshy; 

 ovary nearly sessile; calyx *%"-$" long in fruit. 



In low grounds, southern Ontario to Massachu- 

 setts, Kentucky (and Georgia?), west to Minnesota 

 and Arkansas. The closely related L. lanceolatum 

 Ell. of the southern states has the leaves narrowed 

 or cuneate at the base. June-Aug. 



3. Lythrum lineare L,. Linear- 

 leaved Loosestrife. (Fig. 2547.) 



Lythrum lineare I,. Sp. PI. 447. 1753. 



Perennial, slender, glabrous, rather 

 pale green, much branched, 2-4 high. 

 Leaves narrowly linear, sessile, 6" '-12" 

 long, i "-a" wide, nearly all opposite, 

 acutish at the apex or the lowest obtuse, 

 narrowed at the base; flowers solitary in 

 the upper axils, light purple or nearly 

 white, dimorphous, about i%" broad; 

 stamens of the short-styled flowers ex- 

 serted; hypogynous ring none; ovary 

 short-stalked; fruiting calyx i%"-t" 

 long. 



Borders of salt marshes, New Jersey to 

 Florida, west to Texas. July-Sept. 



4. Lythrum Vulneraria Ait. 



Kennedy's Loosestrife. 



(Fig. 2548.) 



Lylhrum Vulneraria Ait.; Schrank. 



Hort. Monac. pi. 27. 1819. 

 Lythrum Kennedyanum H.B.K. Nov. 



Gen. 6: 194. 1823. 



Spreading or ascending, perennial, 

 glabrous, i-4 long, much branched. 

 Leaves nearly all opposite, short-pe- 

 tioled, or sessile, 4 // -9 // long, 2 // -4 // 

 wide, ovate, ovate-lanceolate or oval, 

 rounded or cordate at the base, mostly 

 obtuse at the apex; flowers solitary in 

 the axils, usually short-peduncled, 

 purple, about 4" broad; stamens of the 

 short-styled flowers exserted ; hypo- 

 gynous disk fleshy; fruiting calyx 4"- 

 5" long. 



St. I^ouis, Mo. (according to Koehne), 

 Florida to Mexico. May-Aug. 



