Asci/rum. 11 VI'KltlCACK.i:. 283 



interposed glands. Ovary strictly 1-collod, of 2 or 3, very rarely 4 <ariK-U; Htylc« di»iiurt 



or united below ; stigmas not capitate. C'ap.sulc ovoid. 



2. HYPERICUM. Sepals 5,> ai»|(ro.\iinately e(|ual. I'eUU 5, dociduoiw or marre«c«nt. 



Stamens usually numerous and 3- or .'•.-adel|)lio»s, with or without iMler|x>»ed gland*. Ovary 



of 3 to 5 caij.els, I -celled or more or less completely 3-r)H.elled ; ittyle« 3 to 5, iliBtiiict or 



united even to tiie ape.x ; stigmas often capiute. Capsule conical u> gIobo«» or ohlung. 



1. ASCYRUM, L. St. Pktku's-wout. ('Ao-wpor, used by I)ioK«-(m«le» 



for :i plant presumably of tbis orilt-r.) — Low sufTrutirosu leafy aixl Hinootb plaiiti*, 



vvitb small black-dotted leaves, and nearly solitary liglit yellow flow.rs on bibruc- 



teolate pedicels. A genus of four or five species, peculiar to K. Nortb America, 



tbe West Indies, and Central America, but represented in Asia by a 8in;;le 



species of tbe Himalaya region. Tbe propriety of a generic separation from 



Ili/pericum is very doubtful. — Gen. no. G07 ; Torr. &, Gray, Fl. i. I.jC, r,7l ; 



Gray, Gen. 111. i. 211, t. 91 ; Bentb. & Hook. Gen. i. 164, exci. .syn. hnphyHum ; 



Coulter, Bot. Gaz. xi. 79 ; Eugler in Engl. & Prantl. Nat. Pflanzeiif. iii. Ab. 0, 



208, excl. syn. Isophyllum. 



* Diffuse: leaves narrowed at base, not clasping: inner sepals very small or ob»«jlete: 

 petals about as long as outer sepals: styles 2, di.stinct or united. 



A. pumilum, Micux. Low, 3 to 9 inches high, with spreading branches which are some- 

 what two edged and winged above: leaves linear-oblong to oval, .sonu-timcs spatulate or 

 naiTDwly obovate, 2 to 4 lines long, about a line wide: pedicels 3 to 6 lines long, bibractoo- 

 late near the base, becoming more or less refiexed : inner sepals obsolete or nearlv so : nt-tals 

 obovate, little longer than the ovate acute or obtuse outer sepals: stvles as long as the 

 ovary. — Fl. ii. 77; Torr. & (Jr.iy, Fl. i. 156. .1. pawljlorum, Nutt. Cen. ii. 15; Choi.<«. in 

 DC. Prodr. i. 555. — Dry ground, Georgia and Florida. 



A. hypericoides, L. Taller, becoming 2 feet high or more, from decumbent an<l branche<l 

 at base to somewliat erect and branched above: leaves oblong, varying l»etween narrowly 

 linear and narrowly obovate, 3 to 18 lines long, I to 4 lines wide, more or less plainly 

 biglandular at base: pedicels 1 to 3 (rarely reaching C) lines long, bibractoolate clos«" to the 

 flower: outer sepals ovate or cordato-ovate, obtuse or acute ; inner sepals evident, jtotaloid : 

 petals linear-oblong to narrowly obovate : styles short — Spec. ii. 788. ^1. Crur-Amlmr, L. 

 Spec. ed. 2, ii. 1107, and of authors. A. multiraule, Michx. Fl. ii. 77. — Damp ground and 

 banks of streams, or dry thickets and woodlands towards the south, from .M.xssachn.M'tts 

 (Nantucket) to Florida, Illinois, and Texas, and extending to the West Indies. Mexico, and 

 Central America. Among the extreme soutliern and southwestern forms then* apiM-ar 

 some with unusually narrow or short leaves, but they cannot be se|)anited even varietally 

 from the ordinary type, and the attempt to maintain two distinct spt'cies seems nnteiiahle. 

 In any event, the North American jdant should bear its original Linn.Tan nanw as alwve. 



* ♦ Erect and stouter: leaves broader and thicker, more or le.«s d.isping. inner .sepals .*) 

 to 6 lines long, sometimes as long as the outer, seldom ])etaloid : )>otals mostly much 

 longer than the outer sepals: styles 3 (rarely 4), generally distinct. 



A. Stans, Micux. Stems 1 to 2 feet high, simple or branched nl>ove, conspicuoucly twiv 

 edged and even winged : leaves oblong to oval, varying to ol>ovate, clowly »<»s.Hil«> and 

 somewhat clasping, ^ to 2 inches long and 3 to 8 lines wide: petlicels 2 to 6 lines long, 

 bibracteolate near the mid<lle : outer sepals ovate to orbicular-cordate ; inner oiii's lanc<H>. 

 late: styles .short. — Michx. in Willd. Spec iii. 1473, & Fl. ii. 77; Chois. in DC. rnxir i. 

 555; Torr. & Gray, Fl. i. 157; Gray. Gen. 111. i. 212, t. 91. — .'^andy gronn.l in the Atlanlir 

 and Gulf States, fri>ni New .Jersey to Tex.xs. The leaves vary widely, but the usual »iie 

 is about an inch long and 5 to 6 lines in width. 



A. amplexicatole, Mimx. With the general habit of .1. ft.nif .- learc« ovat4»-onrilal«>. 

 often broa<lly so, clasping, h.alf inch or more long ami nearly .is wide : jXHlicels 2 to 6 lin<<« 



1 One anom.nlous species (//. mirr(^epnlum) is 4-n)rrnii«. 



