154 LYTHRARlE^l. [LYTHRUM. 



1. LY'THRUM, L. LOOSESTEIFE. 



Herbs or shrubs, branches 4-angled. Leaves opposite, whorled or alter- 

 nate, quite entire. Flowers axillary, red or purple, honeyed. Calyx-tube 

 cylindric, straight ; teeth and ribs 8-12. Petals 4-6, sometimes unequal 

 or 0. Stamens 8-12, 1-2-seriate in the calyx-tube, filaments filiform oiten 

 declinate. Ovary sessile, 2-celled ; style filiform, stigma obtuse ; ovules 

 very many. Capsule 1-2-celled, septicidally 2-valved or bursting irregularly. 

 Seeds plano-convex or angular. DISTIUB. Temp, and trop. regions ; 

 species 12. ETYM. \vdpov, gore, from the blood-red flowers. 



1. L. Salica'ria, L. ; leaves opposite or whorled lanceolate cordate at 

 the base, flowers whorled 3-morphic, stamens 12. 



River-banks and ditches, &c., from Argyll and Perth southd. ; Ireland ; Chan- 

 nel Islands ; fl. July-Sept. Glabrous and pubescent. Rootstock creeping. 

 Stem 2-5 ft., branched, 4^6-angled or winged. Leaves 2-5 in., often 3-4 in a 

 whorl, acute. Cymes glomerate, in terminal spiked racemes. Flowers f-1 

 in. diam., red-purple, homogamous; bracts smaller 0. Calyx-tube ^ in., 

 12-ribbed, outer-teeth lanceolate longer than the inner. Petals narrow- 

 oblong, wrinkled. Capsule ovoid. DISTRIB. Temp. N. regions (Arctic), 

 Australia. Flowers trimorphic in respect of length of style and of filaments 

 and of size of pollen in 3 sets of individuals. Of those growing by the 

 Thames at Kew, the long-styled is glabrous, slender, with small narrow 

 leaves, and bright flowers ; that with very short styles is a larger, coarser, 

 very pubescent plant, with dull purple flowers. The 3 forms have 1, Long 

 style, medium stamens, medium yellow pollen. 2. Long style, short 

 stamens, small yellow pollen. 3. Medium style, long stamens, large 

 green pollen. 4. Medium style, short stamens, small yellow pollen. 

 5. Short style, long stamens, large green pollen. 6. Short style, medium 

 stamens, medium yellow pollen. These admit of 9 modes of cross-fertili- 

 zation. 



2. L. hyssopifo lia, L. ; leaves chiefly alternate linear-lanceolate, 

 flowers solitary homomorphic, stamens about 6. 



Moist places, often inundated, very local, Northampt., Cambridge, Norfolk, 

 Herts, Cornwall ; Channel Islands ; fl. June-Sept. Glabrous, annual. Stem 

 |--1| ft., prostrate or ascending. Leaves |-1 in., sessile, cimeate at the base, 

 very narrow. Flowers small, pink. Calyx 2-bracteolate ; teeth subulate, 

 subequal. Petals oblong. Capsule cylindric. DISTRIB. From Hanover, 

 southd., N. and S. Africa, N.and W. Asia, India, America. 



2. PEP' III S ; L. WATER-PURSLANE. 



Small weak annual herbs. Leaves alternate and opposite, quite entire. 

 Flowers minute, axillary, subsessile, 2-bracteolate. Calyx cainpanulate, 

 6-lobed, with as many alternate spreading teeth. Petals 6, in the throat 

 of the calyx, fugacious, or 0. Stamens 6 or 12, in the middle of the calyx- 

 tube. Ovary subglobose, membranous, 2-celled ; style short, stigma capi- 

 tate ; ovules very many, placentas on the septum semicylindric. Capsule 

 2-celled, 2-valved, or bursting irregularly, many-seeded. Seeds minute, 



