VOL. II.] 



EVENING-PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



481 



i. Chamaenerion angustifolium (L,.) Scop. Great or Spiked Willow-herb. 



Fire-weed. (Fig. 2566.) 



Epilobium angustifolium L. Sp. PI. 347- I 753- 

 C. angustifolium Scop. Fl.Carn. .2,1:271. 1772. 

 Epilobium spicatum Lam. Fl. Fr. 3: 482. 1778. 



Erect, rather stout, simple or branched, gla- 

 brous or often finely pubescent above, 2-8 

 high. Leaves alternate, very short-petioled, 

 lanceolate, entire or denticulate, 2 / -6 / long, 

 4 // -i2 // wide, pale beneath, acute at the apex, 

 narrowed at the base, thin, the lateral veins 

 confluent in marginal loops; flowers W-\$ f/ 

 broad, purple, or sometimes white, in elon- 

 gated terminal spike-like racemes; bracts 

 mostly shorter than the pedicels; petals entire; 

 style pubescent at the base; stigma 4-lobed; cap- 

 sules 2 / -3 / long, about \ l /z" thick, finely canes- 

 cent, at least when young; seeds about %" long, 

 smooth, or nearly so, the coma long, whitish. 



In dry soil, Labrador to Alaska, south to North 

 Carolina, Kansas, in the Rocky Mountains to Ari- 

 zona, and on the Pacific Coast to California. Also 

 in Europe and Asia. Often appears in abundance 

 after forest fires. June-Sept. 



2. Chamaenerion latifolium (L.) 

 Sweet. Broad-leaved Willow- 

 herb. (Fig. 2567.) 



Epilobium latifolium L. Sp. PI. 347. 1753. 

 Chamaenerion latifolium Sweet, Hort. Brit. Ed. 

 2, 198. 1830. 



Erect, usually branching, glabrate below, 

 often quite canescent above, 6'-i8' high. 

 Leaves mostly sessile, I'-a' long, 2 // -6 // wide, 

 denticulate or entire, lanceolate or ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, acutish at both ends, thick, those of the 

 branches opposite, the veins inconspicuous; 

 flowers purple, i / -2 / broad, in mainly short 

 leaf y-bracted racemes; petals entire; styles gla- 

 brous; stigma 4-lobed; capsules tf'-i^' long, 

 about \W thick, canescent; seeds about i" 

 long, smooth or nearly so; coma elongated, 

 whitish. 



Moist ground, Newfoundland to Alaska, south 

 to Quebec, Colorado and Oregon. Also in Europe 

 and Asia. June- Aug. 



6. EPILOBIUM L. Sp. PI. 347. 1753. 



Herbs, or sometimes shrubby plants, with alternate or opposite leaves, and axillary 

 or "terminal, solitary, spicate or racemose flowers. Calyx-tube linear, produced beyond 

 the ovary, the limb 4-parted, deciduous. Petals 4, mostly obovate or obcordate. Stamens 

 8; anthers oblong or linear, short. Ovary 4-celled ; united styles slender or filiform; stigma 

 club-shaped or 4-lobed; ovules numerous. Capsule narrow, elongated, 4-sided, 4-celled, 

 loculicidally dehiscent by 4 valves. Seeds small, numerous, with a tuft of hairs (coma) at 

 the summit. [Greek, upon a pod, flower and pod appearing together.] 



About 65 species, of wide geographic distribution, most abundant in temperate regions. Besides 

 the following, about 30 others occur in the western and northwestern parts of North America. 

 Stigma deeply 4-lobed; flowers large. i. E. hirsutum. 



Stigma entire, or merely notched. 



Seeds smooth or nearly so; arctic or alpine species. 



Flowers white; leaves usually denticulate. 2. E. alpinum. 



Flowers violet; leaves mostly entire. 3. E. anagallidifolium. 



Seeds papillose. 



Leaves linear or lanceolate, entire or nearly so. 

 Plants crisp-pubescent or canescent. 



Leaves sessile, mostly obtuse. 4. E. paluslre. 



Leaves petioled, very narrow, acute. 5. E. lineare. 



31 



