854 



FLORA. 



a. RUELLIA L. 



Perennial herbs, or shrubs, mostly pubescent, with entire or larely dentate 

 leaves and large flowers, solitary or clustered in the axils, or cymose in terminal 

 panicles. Calyx 5 -cleft, or 5 -parted, the segments narrow. Corolla funnelfonn or 

 salverform, the tube usually narrow, slightly enlarged above, the limb spreading. 5- 

 lobed, the lobes obtuse. Anther-sacs not mucronate at the base. Apex of the style 

 recurved; stigma simple, or of 2 unequal lobes. Capsule oblong or club shaped. 

 Seeds compressed, ovate or orbicular, attached by their edges to the retinacula. 

 [Named for I. De la Ruelle, 1474-1537. an early French herbalist.] About 200 

 species, mainly of tropical America. Besides the following, some 5 others occur in 

 the southern U. S. 



Flowers sessile or nearly so. 



Calyx-segments linear-lanceolate, scarcely exceeding the capsule, i. R. strepens. 

 Calyx-segments filiform-linear, exceeding the capsule. 



Leaves sessile or very short-petioled. 2. R. ctliosa. 



Leaves slender-petioled. 3. R. parviflora. 



Flowers peduncled ; peduncle with two large bracts at the summit. 4. R. pedunculata. 



1. Ruellia strepens L. SMOOTH RUELLIA. (I. F. f. 3371.) Glabrate, or 

 somewhat pubescent; stem 4-sided, 3-12 dm. high. Leaves oblong, oval, or ovate, 

 petioled, acute or subacute at the apex, narrowed at the base, 7-15 cm. long; flow- 

 ers solitary or several together in the axils; calyx-segments linear- lanceolate, 

 shorter than the corolla- tube, slightly pubescent or ciliate, 1.5-2. 5 cm. long, 1-2 mm. 

 wide; corolla blue, 3-5 cm. long, the limb nearly as broad, the tube about as long 

 as the throat and limb; capsule club-shaped. In dry woods, Penn. to Wis., Fla. 

 and Tex. May-July. 



Ruellia strepens micrdntha (Engelm. & Gray) Britton. Flowers mostly cleistoga- 

 mous ; leaves often narrower. Range of the type. 



2. Ruellia ciliosa Pursh. HAIRY RUELLIA. (I. F. f. 3372.) Hirsute 

 or pubescent, 3-6 dm. high. Leaves hairy, ciliate, oblong, oval, or ovate, sessile or 

 short-petioled, obtuse or subacute, 3-7 cm. long; flowers clustered or solitary in 

 the axils, sometimes cleistogamous; calyx-segments filiform, hirsute, 2-2.5 cm. 

 long, 0.5 mm. wide; corolla blue, 3.5-5 cm. long, the tube equalling or longer 

 than the obconic throat and nearly regular limb; capsule shorter than the calyx, 

 In dry soil, N. J. and Penn. to Fla., Mich., Kans. and La. June-Sept. 



3. Ruellia parviflora (Nees) Britton. SOUTHERN RUELLIA. Less pubescent 

 than the preceding, sometimes merely puberulent. Leaves ovate to lanceolate, 5-12 

 cm. long, acute, or the lower obtuse ; calyx-segments nearly filiform, ciliate. In 

 woods and thickets Md. to W.Va., Fla. and Tex. May -Aug. 



4. Ruellia pedunculata Torr. STALKED RUELLIA. (I. F. f. 3373.) Finely 

 pubescent, 3-8 dm. tall. Leaves ovate to oblong-lanceolate, acute or acuminate at 

 the apex, narrowed at the base, short-petioled, the larger 5-8 cm. long; peduncles 

 2-8 cm. long, with 2 leaf-like bracts at the summit which subtend a solitary flower, 

 or 2 or 3 slender-pedicelled ones with pedicels similarly bracted; calyx- segments 

 awnlike, equalling the narrow corolla-tube, or shorter; corolla funnelform, 3-5 cm. 

 long; capsule about 2 cm. long, puberulent, longer than the calyx. In dry soil, Mo. 

 to Ark. and La. June-Sept. 



3. DIANTHERA L. 



Herbs, mostly perennial, with entire or rarely dentate leaves, and very irregular 

 flowers, variously clustered or solitary in the axils. Calyx deeply 4-5-parted, the 

 segments narrow. Corolla-tube slender; upper lip interior in the bud, erect or as- 

 cending, concave; lower lip spreading, 3-cleft. Stamens 2, inserted on the throat 

 of the corolla, not exceeding the upper lip; anther-sacs slightly divergent, not 

 mucronate, separated by a rather broad connective. Ovules 2 in each cavity of the 

 ovary; style slender. Capsule contracted at the base into a long stipe, about 4- 

 seeded. Seeds flat, orbkutar or ovate, the placentae not separating from the walls 

 of the capsule. [Greek, double anthers.] About 100 species, mostly of tropical 

 Besides the following, 4 others occur in the southern U. S. 



