318 PRIMULACEAE. 



Family 3. PRIMULACEAE Vent. 

 PRIMROSE FAMILY. 



Herbs, with perfect regular flowers. Calyx free from the ovary (adnate 

 to its lower part in Samolus), usually 5-parted, persistent or rarely 

 deciduous. Corolla gamopetalous in our species, usually 5-cleft, deciduous. 

 Stamens as many as the corolla-lobes and opposite them, hypogynous or 

 rarely perigynous, inserted on the corolla; filaments distinct or connate at 

 the base; anthers introrse, 2-celled, the sacs longitudinally dehiscent. Disk 

 obsolete, or none. Ovary superior (partly inferior in Samolus), 1-celled; 

 placenta central, free; ovules anatropous, or amphitropous ; style 1; stigma 

 simple, mostly capitate, entire. Capsule 1-celled, 2-6-valved, rarely cir- 

 cumscissile or indehiscent. Seeds few or several, the testa adherent to the 

 fleshy or horny copious endosperm; embryo small, straight; cotyledons 

 obtuse. About 28 genera and 400 species of wide distribution. 



1. SAMOLUS L. Sp. PI. 171. 1753. 



Perennial glabrous herbs, with alternate entire leaves, or the basal ones 

 rosulate. Flowers 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. Stamens 5, 

 inserted on the tube of the corolla, opposite its lobes, alternating with as many 

 staminodia (these wanting in 8. ebracteatus) , filaments short; anthers cordate. 

 Ovary partly inferior; ovules amphitropous. Capsule 5-valved from the sum- 

 mit. Seeds minute. [Name Celtic.] About 10 species, of wide distribution. 

 Type species: Samolus Valerandi L. 



Stems leafly to the inflorescence. 1 . 8. floribundus. 



Stems scapose, leafy below. 2. 8. ebracteatus. 



1. Samolus floribundus H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 2: 224. 1818. 



Samolus Valerandi americanus A. Gray, Man. ed. 2, 274. 1856. 



Erect or ascending, 1.5-6 dm. high. Leaves 2-8 cm. long, obovate, obtuse; 

 flowers less than 2 mm. broad, in elongated panicled racemes; pedicels filiform, 

 spreading, 8-25 mm. long, bracteolate near the middle; calyx-lobes acute, 

 shorter than the corolla; corolla-lobes longer than the tube; staminodia 5; 

 capsule 2-3 mm. in diameter. 



Moist soil, New Providence : throughout temperate North America to Florida, 

 Texas, California and Mexico ; Cuba. WATER PIMPERNEL. 



2. Samolus ebracteatus H.B.K. Nov. Gen. 2: 223. 1818. 



Samodia ebracteata Baudo, Ann. Sci. Nat. II. 20: 350. 1843. 



Erect, 4 dm. high or less. Leaves 4-12 cm. long, spatulate or obovate, 

 obtuse or the upper acute; flowers white, 6-7 mm. broad, in long-stalked simple 

 or sometimes branched racemes; pedicels ascending, very slender, 15-25 mm. 

 long; calyx-lobes ovate, acute, about one-half as long as the corolla; corolla- 

 lobes shorter than the tube; staminodia none; capsule 3-4 mm. in diameter. 



Moist ground, Andros, at Red Bays : Florida to Texas and New Mexico ; Cuba. 

 LARGER WATER PIMPERNEL. 



