Lythrum. LYTHRACEiE. ^ 229 



2. LYTHRUM. Linn.; Endl. gen. 614:9. PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE. 



[ From the Greek, lutAron, blood ; in allusion to the color of the flower in some species.] 



Calyx cylindrical, striate ; teeth 4-6, short, usually with as many minute intermediate teeth 

 or processes. Petals 4-6. Stamens as many or twice as many as the petals, inserted 

 about the middle or near the base of the calyx, nearly equal. Style filiform : stigma 

 capitate. Capsule oblong, 2-celled, many-seeded, enclosed in the caly^c. — Herbs, or rarely 

 suffruticose plants, with opposite scattered or entire leaves and purplish or white flowers. 



1. Lythrum hyssopifolia, Linn. Common Purple Loosestrife. 



Annual ; leaves alternate or sometimes opposite, linear-lanceolate, obtuse ; flowers axillary, 

 solitary ; calyx obscurely striate ; petals and stamens 5 — 6. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 447 ; Jacq.fl. 

 Austr. t. 133 ; Nutt. gen. I. p. 303 ; DC. prodr. 3. p. 81 ; Torr. ^ Gr.fl. N. Am. 1. p. 481. 

 L. hyssopifolium, Engl. hot. t. 292 ; Torr. Jl. 1. p. 472 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 188. 



Stem simple, sparingly branched from the base, quadrangular and somewhat margined. 

 Flowers pale purple. Nutt. 



In the State of New- York {Nuttall). I have never found this plant in the State ; nor has 

 it ever, to my knowledge, been found in New-York by any other botanist than Mr. Nuttall, 

 who has not recorded its precise locality. It occurs in Massachusetts, and is also a native of 

 Europe. 



3. DECODON. Gmel. syst. p. 677; Ell. sk. 1. p. 543. swamp willow-HERB. 



[ From the Greek, dckas, ten, and udous, a tooth ; there being ten teeth to the calyr.] 



Calyx campanulate, not bracteolate at the base, with 5 erect teeth, and 5 accessory spreading 

 horn-like processes. Stamens 10 - 12 ; those opposite the proper teeth of the calyx very 

 long, the alternate ones shorter. Style filiform : stigma small, undivided. Capsule included 

 in the calyx, 3 - 4-celIed. Seeds numerous, wingless. — Stem herbaceous or suffruticose, 

 recurved, with opposite or verticillate lanceolate leaves. Flowers somewhat umbellate, on 

 short axillary peduncles. Petals purple. ' 



1. Decodon verticillatum, Ell. (Plate XXVIII.) Sivamp Willoio-herb. 



Ell. sk. I. c; DC. prodr. 3. p. 90 ; Torr. ^- Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 483. D. aquaticus, 

 Gmel. I. c. Lythrum verticillatum, Linn. sj). 1. p. 44G ; Miclix. fl. 1. p. 281 ; Pursh,fl. 1. 

 p. 334 ; Torr. fl. \.p. 471 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 188. Anonymos aquatica, Walt. fl. Car. 

 p. 137. Nesjea verticillata, H. B. ^- K. nov. gen. 6. p. 191. 



Stems 2-6 feet long, 4 - 6-sided, smooth or pubescent, recurved and sometimes taking 



