Adike. URTICACE^. 223 



3. ADIKE. Raf. new Jl. lY. Am. p. 63. RICHWEED. 



Adicea, Raf. Species of UnTiCA, auct. 

 ["An ancient Greek name of some nettles." Kac] 

 Flowers dioecious, or somewhat monoecious. Calyx 3- (rarely 4-) scpalled : sepals nearly 

 equal, oblong or lanceolate. Sterile fl. Stamens 3. Rudimentary ovary wanting. Pert. 

 FL. Sepals with a petaloid cucullate scale at the base of each inside, membranaceous in 

 fruit. Ovary ovate, compressed : stigma minute, capitate, sessile. Aclienium minutely 

 papillose, straight. — Smooth annual herbs, with opposite ovate 3-nerved leaves, and the 

 flowers in axillary clusters. 



1. Adike pumila, Raf. (Plate CXXTI.) RicJnveed. Coolweed. 



Raf. new fl. N. Am. p. 63. Urtica pumila, Linn. sp. 2. p. 984; Michx. fl. 2. p. 178; 

 Pursh, fl. 1. p. 112; Ell. sk. 2. p. 569; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 341; Beck, hot. p. 314; 

 Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 523. Adike glaberrima, lanceolata & rhomboide, Raf. I. c. Adicea 

 pumila, trinerva, etc., Raf. in herb. Torr. 



Stem 3-18 inches high, simple or branching from the base, smooth, succulent and trans- 

 lucent, obtusely 4-angled. Leaves 1-3 inches long, varying from broadly ovate to ovate- 

 lanceolate, acuminate, crenate-serrate. Smooth, or only sprinkled with short appressed 

 hairs : petiole 1-2 inches long. Flowers very small, greenish, in a.iillary corymbose clusters 

 which are shorter than the petioles ; the sterile and fertile often intermixed. Sepals of the 

 sterile flower oblong, concave ; of t!ic fertile, lanceolate, erect ; the scale on the inside of each 

 oblong, finally involute. Achenium roughened with minute dots, acutish, tipped with the 

 minute stigma. 



Moist shady places, particularly in cool ravines : extremely variable in size. Common. 

 Fl. June - July. Fr. September. This species differs so much from the common stinging 

 nettles, that Rafinesque long ago proposed it as a separate genus. In some places it is known 

 by the name of Clearweed, from the semitransparency of its stems. 



4. BCEHiMERIA. Jacq. Amer. t. 157. false nettle. 



[Named after George Rcdolph Bcehmer, a German botanist.] 



Flowers monoecious or dioecious, minute. Sterile. Calyx 4- (sometimes 5-) parted. Stamens 

 4, rarely 5. Rudimentary ovary roundish, minute. Fertile. Calyx lubular-ventricose, 

 surrounding the ovary, the orifice somewhat 4-toothed or entire. Ovary ovate, compressed : 

 style subulate : stigma unilateral. Achenium ovale, pointed with the subulate style, 

 covered with the membranaceous or baccate calyx. — Herbs, or (in tropical climates) shrubby 



- plants, with opposite or alternate leaves and flowers in axillary glomerate elongated spikes. 



