356 THE LOOSESTRIFE FAMILY. 



grow long enough to touch the water. They further show at their bases 

 the pecuHarity of being clothed with a soft pinkish covering, which when 

 pulled peels in layers as would limp paper. As those of its European rela- 

 tive, the purple spiked loosestrife, the flowers are trimorphous, — occurring 

 under three forms — that is the filaments and styles on different flowers are 

 reciprocally shorter and longer, and in order that fertilization may be ac- 

 complished the stigma must only be touched with pollen from a stamen of 

 equal length with itself and produced in another flower. This device is 

 simply one of various plants used to guard against self-fertilization. The 

 genus of the swamp loosestrife is monotypic. 



Besides other common representatives of this family which lack of space 

 forbids entering in these pages, there is seen through the southern cities 

 the crepe myrtle tree, Lagerstroemia indica. Originally it has been imported 

 from eastern Asia. When well grown and hung with its deep pink, crinkly 

 bloom it is very beautiful. 



THE MEADOW=BEAUTY FAMILY. 



MelastomacecE. 



In our species hej'hs with opposite^ si7nple leaves ; and which bear per- 

 fect^ regular flowers, often shotvy ajul generally growing in clusters. 



MARYLAND nEADOW=BEAUTY. {Plate CXIV.) 

 R he. via Mariana. 



FAMILY COLOUR ODOUR RANGE TIME OF BLOOM 



Meadoiv-hemity. Magerita-piuk. Scentless. Texas and northivard. June-September. 



Flowers: showy; growing in loose, terminal cymose clusters. Calyx: long; 

 urn-shaped ; pubescent ; with four short, pointed lobes. Corolla : with four, 

 rounded petals, occasionally projecting a minute point or bristle. Stamens: eight, 

 with linear, incurved anthers. Leaves: oblong, or linear-lanceolate, bluntly 

 pointed at the apex and tapering at the base into short, hairy petioles; serrate; 

 ciliate; three-nerved; bright green and showing on both sides a number of scat- 

 tered hairs. Stem: ten inches to two feet high, mostly branched; erect; hairy. 



Among the wild flowers this genus holds many beauties of the meadow ; 

 beauties of a delicate, quaint type, not at all disposed to vie with lordly 

 lilies or magnificent mints. A number of them have more the look of 



