MiTBLLA. SAXIFRAGACEiE. 257 



^. EuMiTELLA, Torr. & Gr. Petals peciinaie-pinnatifid : stamens 10; filaments short: calyx 

 adherent only to the base of the ovary: stigmas obtuse and simple: placenta bearing ovules 

 at the base; mature seeds feio, ascending: scape with 1 - 2 alternate or opposite leaves, or 

 naked. 



1. MiTELLA DiPHYLLA, Linu. Co?nmon BisJwp's-cap. 



Leaves cordate, acute, slightly 3 - 5-lobed, serrate-toothed, the radical ones on long petioles ; 

 caulines ones 2, opposite, sessile; scape many-flowered. — it>jn sp. 1. p. 406 ; Lam. ill. 

 t. 373. /. 1 ; Michx. fl.l. p. 270 ; ScJik. hand. 1. 1. 120, fide Pursh, f. 1. p. 213 • Bart 

 fl. Am. Sept. 3. t. 89 ; Torr. Jl. 1. p. 246 ; Bigel. fl. Boat. p. 178 ; DC. prodr. A. p. 49 ; 

 Beck, bot. p. 138 ; Darlingt. ft. Cest. p. 271 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl. N. Am. 1. p. 586. 



Plant pubescent. Radical leaves deeply cordate, 1 - 2 inches in diameter ; the petiole 

 2-4 inches long : cauline leaves about the middle of the scape, longer and less cordate than 

 the radical ones ; sometimes a third occurs near the flowers. Scape 12-18 inches high, 

 erect, 10 - 15-flowered, in fruit 5-8 inches long : pedicels shorter than the flowers : bracts 

 almost wanting. Calyx-segments and petals white, the latter recurved. Styles very short : 

 stigmas minute. Capsule 2-valved at the summit, spreading out nearly flat when it bursts, 

 the black shining seeds remaining for some time attached to the basic placentae. 



Rocky and shady moist banks, in rich soil. Fl. April - May. Fr. June. 



2. MiTELLA NUDA, Liuu. Stoloniferous Bishop' s-cap. 

 Stem usually stoloniferous ; radical leaves roundish-cordate or somewhat reniform, on long 



petioles, slightly crenate-lobed or doubly crenate ; scape filiform, few-flowered, naked or with 

 a single sessile leaf; petals pinnatifid, with distant filiform segments.— Linn. spic. l.p. 408 ; 

 Willd. sp. 2. p. 660 ; DC. prodr. 4. p. 49 ; Hook. ft. Bor.-Am. l.p. 240 ; Torr. ^ Gr. ft. 

 N. Am. 1. p. 586. Mitella scapo nudo, &c. G7nel. fl. Sihir. 4. p. 175. t. 68. /. 2. M. 

 cordifolia. Lam. ill. t. 373. /. 3 ; Pursh, fl. I. p. 314 ; Torr. ft. 1. p. 446 ; DC. I. c. M. 

 reniformis. Lam. I. c. t. 373. /. 2. M. prostrata, Michx. I. c. 



Stems or rhizomas slender, creeping, throwing up scapes and tufts of radical leaves at the 

 extremity, and also, after flowering, producing filiform leafy stolons. Leaves 1 - 1^ inch in 

 diameter, hispid with a few stiff hairs on both surfaces ; petioles retrorsely hispid : cauline 

 leaves much smaller than the radical ones. Scape about a span high, 5 - lO-flowercd; the 

 lower pedicels often 2-flowered. Flowers greenish-white. Calyx spreading ; the segments 

 ovate. Petals pectinalcly cut into long, very slender, distant segments. Stamens half the 

 length of the calyx. Stylos very short, spreading. Seeds 8-10, attached to each nearly 

 basic placenta. 



Moist shady woods, and in sphagnous swamps. Northern and western part of the State ; 

 not found south of Saratoga. May - June. A very neat little plant. 



[Flora.] 33 



