FLORA. 



Scales appressed, some of them commonly alternate; flowers solitary at the ends 

 of the elongated erect peduncles; peduncles sometimes 5 crn. long; corolla about 

 3 times the length of the calyx; ovary compressed; capsule about 5 mm. high. In 

 swamps, southern Va. to Fla. and La. March-May. 



Family 4. MENYANTHACEAE G. Don. 

 Buckbean Family. 



Perennial aquatic or marsh herbs, with basal or alternate leaves, and 

 clustered regular perfect 'flowers. Calyx inferior, deeply 5-parted, per- 

 sistent. Corolla 5-lobed or 5-cleft, the lobes induplicate-valvate, at least 

 in the bud. Stamens 5, borne on the corolla, and alternate with its 

 lobes; anther-sacs longitudinally dehiscent; pollen-grains 3-angled. 

 Ovary i -celled, the 2 placentae sometimes intruded. Fruit a capsule, or 

 indehiscent. Five genera and about 35 species, widely distributed. 



Leaves 3-foliolate; swamp plant. i. Menyat\thes, 



Leaves simple, entire, cordate, floating. 2. Limnanthemum. 



i. MENYANTHES L. 



A glabrous marsh herb, with creeping rootstocks, long-petioled 3-foliolate basal 

 leaves, and white or purplish flowers, racemose or panicled on long lateral scapes. 

 Calyx 5-parted. Corolla short-funnelform, 5-cleft, its lobes induplicate-valvate, 

 fimbriate or bearded within. Stamens 5, on the tube of the corolla; anthers sagit- 

 tate. Disk of 5 hypogynous glands. Ovary i-celled ; style subulate ; stigma 

 2-lamellate. Capsule oval, indehiscent or finally rupturing. Seeds few, com- 

 pressed-globose, shining. [Greek, perhaps month-flower.] A monotypic genus. 



i. Menyanthes trifoliata L. BUCKBEAN. MARSH OR BEAN TREFOIL. 

 BOG-BEAN. (I. F. f. 2889.) Rootstocks thick, scaly, sometimes 3 dm. long. 

 Petioles sheathing at the base; leaflets oblong or obovate, entire, obtuse, narrowed 

 to the sessile base, 3-8 cm. long; raceme 10-20- flowered; pedicels 6-25 mm. long, 

 bracteolate at the base; flowers 10-12 mm. long; calyx shorter than the white or 

 purplish corolla; capsule ovoid, obtuse, about 8 mm. long. In bogs, Greenland to 

 Alaska, L. L, Penn., Neb. and Cal. Also in Europe and Asia. May-July. 



3. LIMNANTHEMUM S. G. Gmelin. 



Aquatic herbs, with slender rootstocks. Leaves petioled- ovate or orbicular, 

 entire or repand, or the primary ones different; flowers yellow, or white, umbellate 

 at the summit of filiform stems at the bases of the petioles, or axillary. Calyx 5- 

 parted. Corolla nearly rotate, deeply 5-cleft, the lobes induplicate valvate in the 

 bud, sometimes fimbriate on the margins. Stamens 5, inserted on the base of the 

 corolla; anthers sagittate, versatile. Ovary i -celled; style short or none; stigma 

 2-lamellate. Capsule indehiscent or irregularly bursting. [Greek, pool-blossom.] 

 About 20 species, widely distributed. 



Flowers accompanied by tufts of root-like tubers; native species. 



Floating leaves 2-5 cm. long; flowers 6-12 mm. broad, yellow; seeds smooth. 



1. L. lacunosum. 

 Floating leaves 5-15 cm. long; flowers 12-20 mm. broad, white; seeds rough. 



2. L. aquaticum. 

 Flowers not accompanied by tufts of tubers; flowers bright yellow, 25 mm. broad, or 



more; introduced species. 3. L. nymphaeoides. 



i. Limnanthemum lacunosum (Vent.) Griseb. FLOATING HEART. (I. F. 

 f. 2890.) Primary leaves membranous, submerged, short-petioled ; stems (stolons) 

 filiform, sometimes 3 m. long, bearing a short petioled floating leaf, an umbel of 

 flowers and a cluster of narrow tubers at its summit, or some of the floating leaves 

 on petioles as long as the stems; floating leaves ovate-orbicular, purplish beneath; 

 pedicels slender; tubers linear-conic. 1-2.5 cm. long; capsule covered by the con- 

 nivent calyx-segments. In ponds, N. S. to Fla., Ont., Minn, and La. July-Aug. 



2 Limnanthemum aquaticum 'Walt.) Britton. LARGER FLOATING HEART- 

 (I. F. f. 2891.) Similar to the preceding but stouter and larger. Floating leaves 



