ROSACEA— ROSE FAMILY 



MEADOW SWEET. WILLOW-LEAVED SPIRiEA 



Spircea salicifblia. 



Sftircsa, a Greek name meaning twisted, referring to the 

 twisted pods of some species. 



An erect shrub, two to five feet high, simple or branched 

 above, with smooth, yellowish brown bark ; found in swamps 

 or moist ground. Ranges from Newfoundland to Georgia, and 

 west to Missouri ; also native in northern Europe, and in Asia. 

 Roots run for several feet just below the surface ; variable ; often 

 cultivated. 



Leaves. — Alternate, simple, pinnately veined, two to three 

 inches long, oblong or lanceolate, obovate or oblanceolate, 

 rounded or wedge-shaped at base, serrate especially above the 

 middle, obtuse or acute at apex. They come out of the bud 

 slightly involute, yellow green, tipped with reddish brown ; 

 when full grown smooth, yellow green above, paler green be- 

 neath ; when borne on the upper part of a young shoot fre- 

 quently one or two small leaves appear in the axils of the regular 

 leaf. The autumnal tints are a dull yellow or a dull red. Peti- 

 oles short ; stipules fugitive or wanting. 



Flowers. — July to September. White or pinkish, perfect, 

 from one-fourth to five-eighths of an inch across, borne in dense 

 terminal panicles. 



Calyx. — Tube bell-shaped, five-lobed. 



Corolla.— Vetzte five, short-clawed, white, or rose-tinted, 

 obovate ; inserted on the calyx, imbricate in bud. 



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