120 NEW GENERA OF PLANTS. [October. 



tubular, somewhat compressed, attenuated towards the 

 peduncle, cleft on the under side, border four-toothed, 

 dentures obtuse, and very short. Corolla monopetalous,, 

 bilabiate, tube gibbous, upper lip obsolete, minute, and 

 truncate, (not visible without a lens;) lower lip three- 

 parted, rarely expanding, (apparently only after perfect 

 inilorescence) the two lateral segments dentiform, the 

 central segment elongated, linear-ligulate, truncate, and 

 crenate at the apex, curved inwards in an arch, the point 

 remaining mostly within the tube of the corolla, (appa- 

 rently to protect the parts of fructification from the ad- 

 mission of the water in which tlie plant is periodically 

 immersed, the two lateral dentures then diverging so as 

 to admit sufficient light and air for the functions of the 

 flower.) Stamina, seated upon the lower lip, filaments 

 bifid, the lateral stipes bearing the anthers; anthers 

 soniewhat obcordate, two-lobed, two- celled. Style one, 

 declinate, bifid half way down; stigmata small, capitate. 

 Capsule round, one celled, many-seeded, two-valved, re- 

 ceptacle large and globular with impressed favulose punc- 

 tures. Seeds ovate, shining, perfectly smooth, acute at 

 the base. 



Habitat. — On the gravelly banks of the Delaware, 

 overflowed by the tide, near Kensington, with the above; 

 flowering from August to the close of September. Flow- 

 ers white, scarcely a line long, the plant, which is creep- 

 ing, seldom more than one or two inches high. 



May this be the Herpestis micrantha of Pursh, vol. ii. 

 p. 418 ? Certainly not Gratiola repens of Swartz, which 

 he quotes as a synonym. 



It is in consideration of the proximate aflinity of this 



