Rafintsqut on the Genus Floerkea. 375 



flowers axillar, solitary, and on long peduncles, swelled under 

 the flower. 



Among the several specific names given to this plant, ! pre- 

 fer Muhlenberg's, as it expresses exactly the kind of situations 

 where it grows, say in moist grounds, occasionally swampish or 

 overflowed ; those I found near Philadelphia, grew by thou- 

 sands on the banks of a small brook in a wood below the left 

 side of the falls of Schuylkill. Persoon's name of lacustris, 

 being wrong, as it would seem to imply that it grows in lakes 

 only ; and Wildenow's name being too long and illusive, its 

 similarity of habit with the genus Proserpinaca not being very 

 striking. However, even the name of uliginosa is liable to 

 some slight objection ; and did I think myself permitted to coin 

 a new name, while so many have been proposed already, I 

 should have called it either F. tenella, or F. flaccida, or F. oli- 

 toria, being a very delicate and tender plant, and very good 

 to eat in sallad, as I have tried it myself, its taste is sweet and 

 pleasant, the whole plant may be eaten, (even the root) being 

 all juicy and tender : it grows in such an abundance in some 

 spots, that it might occasionally afford a most precious and de- 

 lightful sallad, but if cultivated for that purpose, it might be 

 found an agreeable addition to our culinary herbs. 



In addition to my above definition, it will be proper to state 

 that the stem of this plant rises from 4 to 8 inches, it is cylin- 

 drical, smooth, and yellowish, the middle leaves are the largest, 

 the lower peduncles are longer than the leaves, and the upper 

 ones shorter, the petals or interior sepals, and the stamens are 

 yellow. It blossoms in May, and is annual, it even lasts only 

 three months. 



It will be perceived that I do not agree with Mr. Pursh, in 

 uniting this plant with the genus JVectris : he owns himself that 

 it deviates a little from the generic character of JVectris, but 

 these deviations appear to me very material ; they exist in the 

 pistils and fruits, the most essential parts of the flowers, since 

 they agree in the perigone and stamens. The genus JVectris 

 (or Calomba of Aublet)has two ovaries, two styles, and two po- 

 lispermous capsules, or achens ! and belongs therefore to the 

 second order Perimesia, (class Eltrogynia) eighth family Achen- 



