LtJDwiGiA. ONAGRACEiE. 239 



Linn. ; Torr. fl. I. p. 182 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 61 ; Hook, in Engl. hot. suppl. t. 2593, and 

 fl. Bor.-Am. 1. p. 215 ; Beck, hot. p. 120 ; Darlingt.fl. Cest. p. 109. I. palustris, /3. Ame- 

 ricana, DC. prodr. 3. p. 61. I. ascendens. Hall in Eat. man. ed. 8. p. 285. 



Root annual. Stem 6-12 inches long when growing in mud or wet ground, sometimes 

 assurgent, but commonly prostrate, rooting at the joints. Leaves about an inch long, narrowed 

 abruptly at the base into a petiole. Flowers very small. Segments of the calyx ovate, acute. 

 Petals commonly absent, but occasionally found in an almost rudimentary state. Stamens 

 much shorter than the calyx : anthers roundish. Style almost none. Capsule obtusely 4- 

 angled. Seeds oblong, yellowish. 



Ditches and slowly flowing water ; common. July - October. A native also of Europe. 

 The rudimentary petals occur most frequently when the plant grows in rather dry exposed 

 situations. 



Tribe II. CIRCJEE^. DC. 



Calyx scarcely produced above the ova?-!/. Lobes of the calyx, petals and stamens 2. Fi-uit 

 indehiscent, 2-celled, with a single erect seed in each cell. — Leaves opposite, petioled. 



5. CIRCvEA. Tourn. ; Endl. gen. 6130. ENCHANTER'S NIGHTSHADE. 



[ " Poetically named after the enchantress Circe : the genus growing in damp shady places, where plants used for 



incantations are found." Loudon.] ' 



Tube of tiie calyx contracted above the ovary ; the limb 2-parted. Petals 2, obcordate, 



inserted into the cup-shaped disk at the summit of the ovary. Stamens alternate with the 



petals. Style fihform : stigma capitate, 2-lobed. Fruit obovate, hispid with hooked hairs. 



— Perennial herbs, with opposite petioled membranaceous leaves. Flowers small, white 



or pale rose-color, in terminal and lateral racemes : pedicels reflexed in fruit. 



My friend, Prof. Bailpy, of West-Point, has observed a very distinct circulation in the transparent hairs of the 

 fruit in this genus. 



1. CiRCvGA LuTETiANA, LiJin. Commou Enchanter's Nightshade. 



Leaves ovate, somewhat cordate, acuminate, slightly repand-toothed, usually longer than 

 the petiole ; bracts none ; disk projecting beyond the tube of the calyx. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 8 

 {var. Canadensis) ; Michx. fl. \ p. \1 ; Pursh, fl.l.p.2l; Ell. sk. I. p. 7; Torr. fl. 1. 

 p. 29 ; Bigel. fl. Bost. p. 11 ; Beck, hot. p. 120 ; Darlingt.fl. Cest. p. 7 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. 

 N. Am. 1. p. 527. C. Canadensis, Muhl. cat. p. 2. 



Stem about a foot and a half high, mostly quite smooth, but sometimes slightly pubescent, 

 swollen at the nodes. Leaves mostly rounded, but sometimes cordate at the base ; the lamina 

 usually more than twice the length of the petiole. Flowers in slender racemes. Pedicels 

 2-3 lines long, spreading, and at length reflexed. Calyx contracted into a short neck above 

 the ovary. Sepals ovate-oblong, rather obtuse. Petals mostly white, or very pale rose-color. 

 Style slender : stigma with 2 small hemispherical lobes. Fruit covered with whitish hairs 

 which are hooked at the extremity. 



Moist shady woods ; common. July - August. 



.* 



