Vox,. II.] 



PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



537 



4. SAMOLUS L. Sp. PI. 171. 1753. 



Perennial glabrous herbs, with alternate entire leaves, or the basal ones rosulate. Flow- 

 ers small, white, in terminal racemes or panicles in our species. Calyx persistent, its tube 

 adnate to the ovary below, its limb 5-cleft. Corolla perigynous, subcampanulate, 5-lobed or 

 5-parted, the lobes obtuse, imbricated, at least in the bud. Stamens 5, inserted on the tube 

 of the corolla, opposite its lobes, alternating with as many staminodia (these wanting in S. 

 ebracteatus) , filaments ^hort; anthers cordate. Ovary partly inferior; ovules]numerous, amphi- 

 tropous. Capsule globose or ovoid, 5-valved from the summit. Seeds minute. [Name Celtic.] 



About 10 species, of wide distribution, most abundant in South Africa and Australasia. Besides 

 the following another occurs in the southern United States. 



i. Samolus floribundus H.B.K. Water Pimpernel. Brookweed. (Fig. 2810.) 



Samolus floribundus H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 2: 224. 1817. 

 3". Valerandi var. Americanus A.Gray.Man. Ed. 2, 274. 1856. 

 Erect or ascending, branched, at least at the base, 

 6 / -i8 / high. Leaves membranous, I'-tf long, J^'-i' 

 wide, obovate, obtuse at the apex, narrowed at the base 

 into petioles, the basal often in a rosulate tuft, the upper- 

 most smaller and sometimes sessile; flowers commonly 

 numerous, less than \" broad, in loose elongated pani- 

 cled racemes; pedicels filiform, spreading, 4 // -i2 // long, 

 bracteolate near the middle; calyx-lobes acute, shorter 

 than the corolla; capsule i"-!^" in diameter, the 5 

 apical valves spreading at maturity. 



In swamps and brooks, often in brackish soil, New Bruns- 

 wick to Florida, west to British Columbia, Texas and Cali- 

 fornia. Also in Mexico and South America. May-Sept. 



Samolus Valerandi L., of Europe and Asia, a smaller plant 

 with mostly simple racemes and larger flowers and capsules, 

 has been found in ballast about Philadelphia. 



5. LYSIMACHIA L. Sp. PI. 146. 1753. 



Herbs, mostly perennial, with leafy stems. Leaves entire, often glandular-punctate; 

 flowers in our species yellow, solitary in the axils, or racemose, corymbose or paniculate. 

 Calyx 5~7-parted or s-y-divided, persistent, free from the ovary. Corolla rotate or campanu- 

 late, 5-7-parted, the tube very short, the lobes convolute at least in the bud. Stamens 5-7, 

 inserted on the throat of the corolla; filaments separate, or connate at the base; anthers 

 oblong or oval; staminodia none. Ovary globose or ovoid; ovules few or several; style 

 filiform; stigma obtuse. Capsule ovoid or globose, 2-5-valved, few or several-seeded. 

 [Greek, loose-strife.] 



'About 70 species, mostly natives of the northern hemisphere, a few in Africa and Australia. 

 Besides the following, 2 others occur in the southern United States. 

 Leaves verticillate in 3's-7's, or some of them rarely opposite. 



Corolla rotate-campanulate, pure yellow, 6"-i2" broad. 



Flowers in terminal panicles; corolla-lobes glabrous. i. L. vulgaris. 



Flowers axillary; corolla-lobes glandular-ciliolate. 2. L. punctata. 



Corolla rotate, 4"-8 broad, its lobes dark-streaked. 3. L. quadrifolia. 



Leaves opposite, or some of them rarely alternate. 



Flowers in a terminal virgate raceme; stem erect. 4. L. terrestris. 



Flowers axillary, solitary; stem creeping. 5. L. Nummularia. 



i. Lysimachia vulgaris L. Golden or Yel- 

 low Loosestrife. ( Fig. 2811.) 



Lysimachia vulgaris L- Sp. PI. 146. 1753. 



Densely downy-pubescent; stem erect, branched, 2- 

 3^ high. Leaves verticillate in 3's or 4*3, or some of 

 them opposite, short-petioled, ovate-lanceolate or 

 ovate, acute or acuminate at the apex, mostly nar- 

 rowed at the base, 2'-4' long, ^ / -i^ / wide; flowers 

 6 // -io // broad, in terminal leafy panicles or compound 

 corymbs; pedicels 2 // -6 // long; sepals lanceolate or 

 triangular-lanceolate, acute or acuminate; corolla yel- 

 low, rotate-campanulate, deeply parted, the segments 

 glabrous; filaments monadelphous to about the mid- 

 dle, glandular; capsule about ij x/ in diameter, shorter 

 than the sepals. 



In fields and along roadsides, Maine to southern New 

 York and Pennsylvania. Naturalized from Europe. Na- 

 tive also of Asia. Called also Willow-wort. June-Aug. 



