CARROT FAMILY 



VOL. II.] 



5. Hydrocotyle ranunculoides I,, f. 

 Floating Marsh-Pennywort. (Fig. 2707.) 



Hydrocotyle ranunculoides L. f. Suppl. 177. 1781. 

 Hydrocotyle natans T. & G. Fl. N. A. i: 599. 1840. 



Stem usually floating, sometimes creeping on 

 shores, rather stout, abundantly rooting from the 

 nodes, branched, 6 / -24 / long. Petioles elongated, 

 weak; leaves reniform, i / -2 / wide, not peltate, 3-7- 

 cleft, deeply cordate at the base, the lobes crenate; 

 peduncles \ f -$' long, much shorter than the 

 petioles, recurved in mature fruit; umbels simple, 

 5-io-flowered; fruit nearly orbicular, about i% f/ 

 broad, the ribs obscure and filiform. 



In ponds and swamps, eastern Pennsylvania to 

 Florida, near the coast, west to Texas and on the 

 Pacific Coast from Oregon to Lower California. Also 

 in Central and South America, Abyssinia and Italy. 

 June-Sept. 



43. CENTELLA L. Sp. PI. Ed. 2, 1393. 1763. 



Perennial herbs (some African species shrubby), ours with prostrate stems rooting and 

 sending up tufts of long-petioled leaves at the nodes, together with 1-3 long-rayed umbellets 

 of small white flowers, the true umbel sessile. Petiole-bases sheathing. Bracts of the invo- 

 lucels 2-4, mostly prominent. Calyx-teeth none. Disk flat, or slightly concave. Styles 

 filiform. Fruit somewhat flattened laterally, orbicular, reniform, or obcordate, rather promi- 

 nently ribbed, the ribs mostly anastomosing; oil-tubes none- [Latin, diminutive of centrum, 

 a prickle. ] 



About 20 species, of wide distribution, most abundant in South Africa. The following: is the 

 only one occurring in North America. 



i. Centella Asiatica (L,.) Urban. Ovate- 

 leaved Marsh-Pennywort. (Fig. 2708.) 



Hydrocotyle Asiatica L. Sp. PI. 234. 1753. 

 Hydrocotyle repanda Pers. Syn. i: 302. 1805. 



Centella Asiatica Urban in Mart. Fl. Bras, n: Part, i, 

 287. 1879. 



Stem creeping, glabrous or somewhat pubescent, 

 i'-6' long. Petioles 3 / -i2 / long, sometimes pubes- 

 cent; blades ovate, rather thick, very obtuse and 

 rounded at the apex, broadly cordate at the base, 

 not peltate, i / -i^ / long, *)"-\$' f wide, repand-den- 

 tate; pedicels much shorter than the leaves, X'~ 2/ 

 long; umbels capitate, 2-4-flowered, subtended by 

 2 ovate bracts; flowers nearly sessile; fruit 2 // -2^ // 

 broad, about \ I /L" high, prominently ribbed and 

 reticulated when mature. 



In wet grounds, Maryland to Florida, west to Texas. 

 Also in tropical America, Asia, Africa and Australia. 

 June-Sept. 



44. ERIGENIA Nutt. Gen. i: 187. 1818. 



Low glabrous nearly acaulescent perennial herbs, arising from a deep tuber, with ter- 

 nately decompound leaves, usually a single-leaved involucre, and small umbels of white 

 flowers. Calyx-teeth obsolete. Petals flat, obovate or spatulate, entire. Fruit nearly or- 

 bicular, notched at both ends, glabrous. Carpels incurved at top and bottom, with 5 slender 

 ribs and 1-3 small oil-tubes in the intervals. [Greek, spring-born.] 



A monotypic genus of central North America. 



