82 IJOTANICAL (JAZETTE. [ApHl, 



more or less ])oIliuM(.l-[>iinctate and black-dotted: very variable 

 in size of leaves, sej>als, and flowers. — Gen. 902 ; Torr. <fc Gray, 

 Fl. i. 157; Gray, Gen. 111. i. 213, t. 92, 93: Benth. & Hook. 

 Gen. Plant, i. iOo, exel. Elodea. Sarothra L. Gen. 383. Bra- 

 thi/s, Braf/n/dinm, Myriandra, Roscyna, and hophiiUnni of Si)ach, 

 Ann. Sci. Nat. 2. v. 3()7. — A genus of about 160 species, widely 

 distributed, but chiefly of northern temperate regions; all bui 

 three of the 29 North American species restricted to the Atlantic 

 U.S. 



H. selosum L. Spec. 787, with the character only " lioribus digynis, foliis 

 linearibus," represents no plant known to Linna>us, but is a complex wholly 

 founded on a phrase of Gronov. Fl. Virg., which belongs to H. pilomm Walt., 

 and to one of Pink. Aim., which is H. nudicmde Walt., whence the "digynis" 

 and the suggestion of the specific name. 



H. elatum Ait. Hort. Kew. iii. 104, proves to be //. hircinuvi L., or some 

 nearly related Old World species. 



H. triplinerve Vent. Hort. Cels. t. 58, must also be an Old World species, 

 related to H. hyssopifolium L. 



il. Sepals and petals 4, or occasionally 5: stamens numerous, distinct 

 styles 3, at first united into a long sharp beak, becoming distinct: capsule 1- 

 celled, the placentaj projecting : branching shrubs. — IsophyUum Spach. 



1. H. inierosepaliiiu Gray. Decumbent or erect, half to a 

 foot high or more : leaves very small, oblong-linear, 3 or 4 lines 

 long, hardly a line wide, obtuse: flowers .showy, about an inch in 

 diameter, clustered at the summit of the branches : sepals slightly 

 unequal, linear to oblong, mostly obtuse, much shorter than the 

 somewhat unequal petals : capsule oblong-ovate, 2 to 3 lines long ; 

 seeds oblong, minutelv striate and fltted. — Watson, Bibl. Index, 

 Polypet. 456. 



IsophyUum Drumnumdii Spach, Ann. Sci. Nat. 2. v. 367. 



Ascy7-um microsepcdum Torr. & Gray, Fl. i. 157 ; Gray, Hen. 111. i. 212 ; 

 Chapm. Fl. 39. 



Georgia and Florida. 



This species is intermediate between Ascyrum and Hypericum, and Spach 

 separated it from both by founding the genus IsophyUum. The habit, small 

 and nearly equal .sepals, and long beak-like styles, all belong to Hypericum, 

 while the 4-merous Hower associates it with Ascyrum. As the Howers are also 

 sometimes 5-merous it seems most proper to consider it an outlying species of 

 Hypericum. 



^2. Stamens very numerou.s, distinct, or more or less united into set,s. 



*" Styles 5, united below, distinct above; stigmas capitate : capsule 5-cel led, 

 the placenta* turned far I)ack from the a.xis: tall perennial horlis with large 

 leaves anil flowers. 



